Anti-Trump rallies expected to draw thousands across the US

Thousands of demonstrators flooded Washington, D.C.’s National Mall, and other cities across the United States on Saturday, staging the largest protests since Donald Trump’s return to the presidency.

The coordinated demonstrations, branded under the slogan "Hands Off!", were organized by a coalition of progressive groups including MoveOn, Indivisible, and Women’s March.

Banners bearing slogans like “Not My President,” “Stop Evil,” and “Fascism Has Arrived” reflected the urgency and anger many protesters feel as the Trump administration pushes a sweeping conservative agenda, downsizes federal government institutions, and imposes harsh trade measures.

Many Democrats are irate that their party, in the minority in both the House of Representatives and Senate, has seemed so helpless to resist Trump's aggressive moves.AFP

Just blocks from the White House, more than 5,000 people gathered, with speakers like Rep. Jamie Raskin and veteran activist Graylan Hagler addressing the crowd. “They’ve woken up a sleeping giant,” Hagler said. “We will not sit down, we will not be quiet, and we will not go away.”

Among the demonstrators was 66-year-old Jane Ellen Saums, dressed as “Mother Nature,” who lamented the erosion of environmental protections and civil liberties. “It’s extremely concerning to see what is happening to our government, and all of the checks and balances being run over,” she said.

The protests weren’t limited to U.S. soil—solidarity rallies were held in London, Paris, and Rome, a signal of growing international unease with Trump’s increasingly combative global stance.

The “Hands Off” coalition accused Trump and advisor Elon Musk of launching “an all-out assault on our government, our economy, and our basic rights,” while Democrats voiced frustration over their inability to counter Trump’s agenda from their position in the minority.

Simultaneously, a separate March for Palestine also took place in Washington, adding to the city’s charged atmosphere.

Though turnout estimates were below the historic 2017 Women’s March, the widespread mobilization is seen as a sign of mounting grassroots opposition. Trump’s approval ratings have dropped to their lowest levels since he returned to office, according to recent polls.

Still, the president has remained defiant in the face of criticism. “My policies will never change,” he said Friday, dismissing the protests outright.