Trump protesters storm US streets: ‘Am so angry… Guy is a lunatic’

Large crowds marched and rallied in dozens of US cities on Saturday, protesting President Donald Trump’s leadership in what became the opposition’s biggest day of demonstrations so far, as they sought to rebuild momentum after the jolt of his early weeks in office.

The Hands Off! rallies took place at over 1,200 locations across all 50 states, supported by more than 150 organisations, including civil rights groups, labour unions, LGBTQ advocates, veterans, and election reform activists. The protests were peaceful, with no immediate reports of any arrests.

Thousands of protesters gathered across the United States, from the National Mall and Midtown Manhattan to Boston Common and various state capitols, to criticise Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk over issues such as government downsizing, immigration, the economy, and human rights.

In Seattle, near the city’s iconic Space Needle, demonstrators held placards reading slogans like “Fight the oligarchy.”

Elon Musk, a Trump adviser and head of Tesla, SpaceX and social media platform X, has led the government downsizing efforts as chief of the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). He claims his work is saving taxpayers billions.

The rallies spread to several European capitals, where protesters expressed their opposition to Trump and his tough trade policies.

“What’s happening in America is everyone’s problem,” Liz Chamberlin, a dual US-British citizen, told AFP at a rally in London.

“It’s economic lunacy… He is going to push us into a global recession.”

In Berlin, 70-year-old retiree Susanne Fest said that Trump had sparked “a constitutional crisis,” adding, “The guy is a lunatic.”

Protesters call for equal rights

At the National Mall rally, Kelley Robinson, president of the Human Rights Campaign, criticised the administration’s treatment of the LGBTQ community. Several Democratic members of Congress also addressed the crowd.

“The attacks that we’re seeing, they’re not just political — they are personal, y’all. They’re trying to ban our books, slash HIV prevention funding, and criminalise our doctors, our teachers, our families and our lives,” said Kelley Robinson, president of the Human Rights Campaign.

Diane Kolifrath, 64, a bike tour guide, said, “We have about 100 people who have come down by bus and van from New Hampshire to protest against this outrageous administration (that) is causing us to lose our allies across the world, and causing devastation to people here at home.”

In Boston, demonstrators brandished signs such as “Hands off our democracy” and “Hands off our Social Security.”

Mayor Michelle Wu said she doesn’t want her children or others to grow up in a world where the government uses threats and intimidation, and where values like diversity and equality are being targeted.

“I refuse to accept that they could grow up in a world where immigrants like their grandma and grandpa are automatically presumed to be criminals,” Wu said.

Roger Broom, 66, a retiree from Delaware County, Ohio, was among the hundreds who gathered at the Statehouse in Columbus. He said he once identified as a Reagan Republican but has since become disillusioned with Trump.

“He’s tearing this country apart. It’s just an administration of grievances,” Broom said.

New York painter Shaina Kesner, 43, joining a crowd marching through the heart of Manhattan, told news agency AFP, “I am so angry, I’m so mad, all the time, yes. A bunch of privileged, white alleged rapists are controlling our country. It’s not great.”

While Donald Trump spent his morning at the Senior Club Championship in Jupiter, Florida, hundreds of protesters gathered nearby in Palm Beach Gardens.

They lined both sides of PGA Drive, chanting slogans against Trump and encouraging passing cars to honk in support.

White House backs Trump

The White House said in a statement that “President Trump’s position is clear: he will always protect Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid for eligible beneficiaries. Meanwhile, the Democrats’ stance is giving Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare benefits to illegal aliens, which will bankrupt these programs and crush American seniors.”