Hands Off protests
The Hands Off protests were a series of demonstrations launched across the United States on April 5, 2025, in the largest one-day, nationwide display of public resistance against the second administration of President Donald Trump until the No Kings protests two months later. The Hands Off demonstration was described as the "biggest day of protest." Organized under the "Hands Off!" banner, demonstrations voicing opposition to the administration's policies occurred in over 1,400 locations across all 50 U.S. states, drawing up to an estimated three to five million participants nationwide according to the demonstration organizers. According to demonstration coordinators, the protests involved a coalition of over 150 progressive, labor union, pro-democracy, civil rights, LGBTQ+, and women's rights groups.
The rallies protested a wide range of administration policies, including newly imposed global tariffs causing economic turmoil, significant cuts to government agencies and the federal workforce spearheaded by Elon Musk, imperiled union rights, immigration raids perceived as disorganized and politically motivated, rollbacks on LGBTQ+ rights, potentially harmful changes to Social Security, and cuts to healthcare funding and research. Protesters voiced broader concerns about democratic backsliding, growing authoritarianism, and the administration's perceived orientation towards the interests of billionaires over American workers, with protestors framing their actions as a defense of American democracy and economic well-being.
Overview
The Hands Off protests were led by a nationwide coalition of organizations, including civil rights organizations, veterans, women's rights groups, labor unions, and LGBTQ+ advocates, for example Indivisible. The protests were in response to what the organizers saw as the administration's overreach on many issues: NATO; schools; libraries; courts; veteran services; fair elections; transgender rights; Social Security; Medicare; Medicaid; the federal workforce; abortion rights; and many others. In a document, organizers said that they had three demands: "an end to the billionaire takeover and rampant corruption of the Trump administration; an end to slashing federal funds for Medicaid, Social Security, and other programs working people rely on; and an end to the attacks on immigrants, trans people, and other communities."While the Hands Off protests were not the first demonstrations against Trump's second presidency, they were described as the first mass mobilization comparable to the 2017 Women's March and the 2020 George Floyd protests. In contrast to protests during Trump's first term, which focused on Washington, D.C., organizers of the Hands Off protests tried to spread them throughout the US. Protests took place in many locations, including state capitols, federal buildings, congressional offices, Social Security headquarters, parks and city halls. According to organizers, many of the smaller local rallies were formed organically by neighbors and friends.
Organizers estimated that around 100,000 people attended the D.C. rally, ten times more than they had expected. Speakers at the rally included several Democratic members of Congress and the president of the American Federation of Government Employees, Everett Kelley, among others. Organizers estimated the total number of protesters as "millions." According to coordinators, the protests involved a coalition of over 150 progressive, labor union, pro-democracy, civil rights, LGBTQ+, and women's rights groups.
Participants
Some notable groups listed as "Partners" on the Hands Off! official website include 50501, the American Civil Liberties Union, Indivisible, and the Democratic Socialists of America.Others include:
- Conservation: Greenpeace, the League of Conservation Voters, the Green New Deal Network, 350.org, and 198 methods.
- Women's rights: Planned Parenthood, and the National Women's Political Caucus.
- Unions and workers' rights: AFL-CIO, AFSCME 3299, the National Treasury Employees Union, the United Auto Workers, and several other national union organizations.
- Civil rights: Autistic Self Advocacy Network, the Arab American Institute, and the Disability Culture Lab.
- LGBTQ+ rights: Christopher Street Project, Bulletproof Pride, Pride At Work, and the Center for LGBTQ Economic Advancement and Research.
- Economic issues: Americans for Tax Fairness, the Strong Economy for All Coalition, and the Consumer Federation of America.
- Religious activism: Interfaith Alliance, Unitarian Universalists for Social Justice, and the New York Jewish Agenda.
Locations and activities
In Europe, protests organized by Democrats Abroad are being held in Berlin, Frankfurt, Lisbon, Paris and London. In Ottawa, protesters gathered outside the U.S. embassy. Lisbon, Portugal also held a protest.Midwestern U.S.
East North Central states
In Illinois, protests took place in Chicago, Bloomington, Champaign, Oak Park, Peoria, Rockford, Crystal Lake, Evanston, Elgin, Arlington Heights, DeKalb, Palatine, Joliet, Lisle, Highland Park, Geneva, Gurnee, Ottawa, McHenry, Wheaton, and Springfield. Several hundred people marched in front of Ogle County Courthouse in the city of Oregon, and over 500 gathered in Sterling. Al Jazeera reported that the protesters in Chicago are concerned about their jobs.Protests were held outside the Indiana Statehouse in Indianapolis. Protests were also held in Bloomington, Fort Wayne, Goshen, and South Bend. In Lafayette, a man in a Trump shirt exited his vehicle as protesters crossed a road. The man scuffled with a protester, being head-butted in the process, before returning to his vehicle and grabbing a rifle. Police detained the man but released him, saying he did not point the gun at anybody.
The Detroit Free Press reported there were 55 demonstrations in Michigan, including in Detroit, Lansing, Novi, Troy, and Ferndale. Additional protests were held in Boyne City, Grand Rapids, Marquette, Traverse City, Paw Paw, Petoskey, Portage, St. Joseph, and Wyandotte.
Thousands of protesters gathered outside the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus. Protests were also held in Akron, Chagrin Falls, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Cuyahoga Falls, Dayton, Fremont, Jackson Township, Kent, Mansfield,Marietta,Middletown, New Philadelphia, Ravenna, Springfield, Strongsville, Toledo, Troy, Wooster, and Xenia.
Approximately 30 protests were planned in Wisconsin, including the cities of Appleton, Green Bay, Kenosha, Madison, Milwaukee, and Oshkosh. More than 600 people protested in Rib Mountain.
West North Central states
In Iowa, more than a dozen protests were held, including in the capital of Des Moines where around 7,000 protestors rallied. Another protest in Iowa City had an estimated 1,000 protestors. Other locations include Cedar Rapids, Davenport, Mason City, Ames, Red Oak, Sioux City, Decorah, Council Bluffs, Dubuque, Fairfield, Lisbon, Maquoketa, Mount Vernon, and Waterloo.Thousands of protesters assembled outside the Kansas Statehouse in Topeka. Protests were also held in Lawrence, Manhattan, and Wichita.
Twenty-five thousand people gathered in front of the Minnesota State Capitol in Saint Paul. Protests also occurred in Rochester, Alexandria, Detroit Lakes, Moorhead, Chisholm, Cloquet, Bemidji, Brainerd, Edina, Ely, Grand Marais, Grand Rapids, St. Cloud, Douglas County, Duluth, Northfield, Plymouth and St. Peter.
In Missouri, demonstrations and rallies were held in Ballwin, Brentwood, Columbia, Jefferson City, Joplin, Kansas City, St. Joseph, Springfield, and Union.
Hundreds of people protested outside the Nebraska State Capitol. Other protests were held in Hastings, Kearney, and Omaha.
In North Dakota, a protest was held on the bridge connecting Fargo with Moorhead, Minnesota. Another demonstration occurred outside the North Dakota Capitol in Bismarck. There were also protests in Grand Forks, Jamestown, and Minot.
In South Dakota, protests took place across the state including Sioux Falls, Rapid City, Pierre, Aberdeen, Watertown, Brookings, and Mitchell. Sioux Falls estimates show up to 5,000 in attendance while Rapid City's and Pierre's attendance range from 600 to 900 and 200-300 respectively. An estimated 320 people demonstrated in Brookings. In Crooks, one single resident protested near the highway.
Northeastern U.S.
Middle Atlantic states
In New Jersey, Cory Booker spoke to a crowd of 8,000 in Brookdale Park. Protests also occurred in Atlantic City, Cape May Courthouse, Franklin Township, Galloway Township, Jersey City, Maplewood, Morristown, Pitman, Princeton, Red Bank, Teaneck, Toms River, and Trenton. Former state senator Loretta Weinberg, age 90, led a rally at a senior living facility in Teaneck.Several protests were held in New York City, including in Bryant Park and Staten Island. Protests were also held in Rochester, Batavia, Buffalo, and Yonkers. In Sackets Harbor, demonstrators marched to the home of border czar Tom Homan in response to the detention of three children and their mother in late March.
In Pennsylvania, protests occurred in Altoona, Beaver, Butler, Erie, Harrisburg, Lancaster, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Reading, State College and York.
New England states
In Connecticut, protests took place in Greenwich, Stamford, Middletown, New Haven, Hartford, and Waterbury.In Maine, over 3,000 protesters gathered outside the Maine State House in Augusta. Protests were also held in Auburn, Freeport, Portland, South Paris, South Portland.
In Massachusetts, 25,000–30,000 protestors gathered in Boston Common and marched to Boston City Hall plaza. Speakers included Senator Ed Markey, Representative Ayanna Pressley, Boston mayor Michelle Wu, and the band Dropkick Murphys, who played a set including the protest song "Which Side Are You On?". As many as 100,000 protestors gathered throughout Boston. Protests also took place in Massachusetts towns including Attleboro, Bedford, Canton, Dartmouth, Falmouth, Framingham, Groton, Holliston, Hyannis, Lexington, Lowell, Natick, Newton, Northampton, Plymouth, Salem, Sharon, Walpole, Waltham, and Worcester.
In New Hampshire, protests were held across the state, including over 2,000 people in the state capital, Concord, and other towns including Colebrook, Conway, Dover, Enfield, Keene, Lebanon, Littleton, New London, Peterborough, Plaistow, Portsmouth, Nashua, and Wolfeboro.
In Rhode Island, 6,000–8,000 protesters gathered at Hope High School before marching through downtown Providence. Other protests were held in South Kingstown, Tiverton, Portsmouth and Westerly, as well as on Block Island.
Thousands of protesters gathered on the Vermont Statehouse Green in Montpelier. Protests were also held in Brattleboro, Rutland, Bennington, Burlington, and White River Junction.