What to know about Saturday's nationwide "Hands Off!" anti-Trump protests
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A nationwide anti-President Trump movement on Saturday, "Hands Off!," is expected to be the largest single-day protest since he entered office.
Why it matters: The Trump administration's wide-reaching and ground-shaking policies have mobilized a varied cross section of Americans affected by political, economic, social and legal changes.
- "This is not just corruption," the Hands Off! website said. "This is not just mismanagement. This is a hostile takeover."
By the numbers: More than 1,100 rallies, visibility events and meetings were scheduled in all 50 states as of Wednesday afternoon.
- Organizers said they had more than 500,000 RSVPs as of Friday night.
The latest: White House garden tours scheduled for Saturday were postponed to Sunday in anticipation of D.C. protests, first lady Melania Trump said on Thursday.
State of play: Protesters are rallying against several Trump administration policies, including its handling of Social Security benefits, layoffs across the federal workforce, attacks on consumer protections and anti-immigrant policies and attacks on transgender people.
- The protests are also against Elon Musk's involvement in the federal government via DOGE — after he's already faced a wave of demonstrations at Tesla dealerships worldwide via the #TeslaTakedown movement.
- The Hands Off! demonstrations will occur at state capitals, federal buildings, congressional offices and city centers.
- Dozens of advocacy organizations are partnering to support Saturday's action, including the Center for LGBTQ Economic Advancement & Research, Declaration for American Democracy, the Human Rights Campaign, Indivisible and Planned Parenthood.
What they're saying: "This is a nationwide mobilization to stop the most brazen power grab in modern history," the movement's website said.
- "Trump, Musk, and their billionaire cronies are orchestrating an all-out assault on our government, our economy, and our basic rights—enabled by Congress every step of the way."
Zoom in: The movement hosted a virtual safety and deescalation training on Wednesday, after a Tuesday virtual meeting with nearly 35,000 RSVPs, recorded for posterity, gave general information on the protests and the Trump administration.
- "Whether they get away with any particular effort doesn't matter as much as the message that they are sending so loud and so clear, which is sowing fear, sowing the feeling of powerlessness," Deirdre Schifeling, the ACLU's chief political and advocacy officer, said on Tuesday.
Zoom out: Consumers have also been protesting corporations with boycotts, especially over anti-diversity policies since the start of the Trump administration.
Go deeper:
- The Trump 2.0 resistance: Alive, but evolved
- Protests force rescheduling of Saturday White House tours
Editor's note: This story was updated with the latest number of RSVPs and news about the White House garden tours.
