Thousands of protesters packed Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue on Saturday in a sweeping show of opposition to the Trump administration, joining the nationwide “Hands Off!” movement targeting President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk.
Why It Matters
The protests were among more than 1,200 coordinated across the United States on Saturday, organized by “Hands Off!” a grassroots movement supported by civil rights groups, labor unions, and advocacy organizations.
Protesters primarily targeted the president and Musk for actions taken during the early months of the second Trump administration, criticizing mass federal layoffs, immigration crackdowns, and U.S. involvement in the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza.
In addition, hundreds of people in European cities—including Frankfurt, Berlin, London, Lisbon and Paris—took to the streets in solidarity with American protests.
What To Know
Fifth Avenue became a river of protest on Saturday, as thousands marched through Midtown Manhattan in one of the largest coordinated demonstrations of the year. Chanting, waving flags, and holding handmade signs, the crowd stretched nearly 20 blocks.
Organizers said more than 600,000 people had signed up to participate in protests across the country. In New York City, the rally began at Bryant Park around noon, with demonstrators marching down Fifth Avenue through Madison Square Park.
Protesters carried signs opposing cuts to Social Security and Medicare, demanding protections for immigrants and civil rights, and condemning federal downsizing efforts led by Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Some demonstrators waved American flags and held cardboard signs with clever slogans. One read, “Billionaires are attacking fed workers for protecting you.” Another declared, “This is what democracy looks like.”
Early in the protest, many participants hesitated to speak on the record out of fear of retaliation. But as the afternoon continued, people began to open up.
Photo by Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for Community Change Action
“This is what we’re standing out here in the cold for,” Frank Hickey, a former police officer who lives in Manhattan, said. “This is what we’re getting fallen arches and stiff backs for—and I think it’s important.”
Hickey, who previously volunteered in Ukraine teaching self-defense and leading a book club, called the protest “an extension of the lawlessness of the Trump regime.”
Some protesters focused on single issues—such as defending Medicare or Social Security—while others voiced broader opposition to the Trump administration and the Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement. Musk was also a frequent target. Several signs demanded his “deportation,” while others denounced the influence he’s had on the Trump administration since the campaign.
Musk, who was born in South Africa, moved to the U.S. in 1992 to attend college. He initially entered the country on an Exchange Visitor Visa before transitioning to a work visa and eventually gaining citizenship.
Kailani, a 26-year-old graduate student from the Bronx, said she feared the collapse of constitutional safeguards. “The most concerning thing is the blatant disregard of the court orders that have been issued,” she said. “The checks and balances are not working and are being actively destroyed.”
Though largely peaceful, the protest saw a brief confrontation in Madison Square Park between an anti-Trump marcher and a Trump supporter. Police quickly stepped in. The pro-Trump counterdemonstration remained small.
One of the Trump supporters involved in the altercation, Brian, said he attended the protest to push back against what he described as cultural confusion and societal decline.
“You’ve got people with cat litter boxes in schools. It’s a bunch of brain syndrome,” he said. “Life isn’t about grown men’s feelings. If nobody ever gave a s*** about my part of life, why should I care about yours?”
He added: “No politician is good, but there are politicians that are worse than the other ones. At some point you got to take a stand.”
The New York protest wound down by 6 p.m., with some groups staying behind to chant and speak out against what they described as “the destruction of our government and our economy for the benefit of Trump and his billionaire allies,” as one protester told Newsweek.
Earlier this week, Trump announced global sweeping tariffs that have rattled global and domestic markets, with Wall Street tanking over the past few days, marking the worst days for the U.S. stock markets since 2020.
What People Are Saying
The Hands Off! mission statement articulates specific grievances: “They’re dismantling Social Security and Medicare—forcing seniors and disabled Americans to jump through hoops to access the benefits they’ve already paid into. They’re handing trillions to billionaires—while forcing the rest of us to pay higher prices for food, rent, and healthcare.”
President Donald Trump told Fox News in February: “Social Security won’t be touched, other than if there’s fraud or something… It’s going to be strengthened… Medicare, Medicaid, none of that stuff is going to be touched.”
Former Vice President Kamala Harris wrote on X, formerly Twitter, on Saturday: “Today, in every state across our nation, Americans are standing up to the administration as they implement Project 2025 at full speed.”
Trump has distanced himself from Project 2025 and previously called parts of the 900-page guideline spearheaded by The Heritage Foundation “ridiculous and abysmal.” However, he has brought on some individuals associated with it into his administration.
What Happens Next?
Organizers hope the nationwide protests will sway lawmakers on issues such as voting rights, social services, and economic policy.
