‘Hands Off’ Organizers Unite Millions Against ‘Authoritarian’ Trump Policies Across 1,300 Protests Nationwide

If you’ve been online or out in any American city this weekend, then chances are you’ve seen people protesting President Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s “authoritarian overreach” as part of the nationwide “Hands Off” protests.

On Saturday, millions of citizens came together across all 50 states at over 1,300 peaceful protests organized by MoveOn to combat the president and the DOGE head’s agenda, according to internal data. In fact, more than 600,000 people had even signed up to take part in the protests ahead of time.

“What we witnessed today was nothing short of extraordinary. Across the country and around the world, people came together to say: we will not be silent while our rights, our futures and our democracy are under attack,” MoveOn executive director Rahna Epting said in a statement. “This peaceful movement is powered by everyday people — nurses, teachers, students, parents — who are rising up to protect what matters most. We are united, we are relentless, and we are just getting started.”

Plus, by some estimations, the actual number of participants could have been as high as 5.5 million-6 million people — or about 2% of the U.S. population.

Dubbed the National Day of Action, which notably came three days after Trump’s inaugural “Liberation Day,” events took place in major cities such as Chicago, Asheville, Topeka, Boston, Columbus, Milwaukee, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Seattle and even internationally in London and Paris.

“This marks the largest day of collective action since Trump’s inauguration, with everyday people turning out in record numbers to defend their healthcare, wages, education, civil rights and democracy,” MoveOn noted. “Organizers and attendees cited moves Trump has taken to gut workers’ rights, dismantle our healthcare and constantly increasing prices for all Americans as major contributors to the increased enthusiasm.”

“With Trump and congressional Republicans doubling down on their agenda to gut essential services, everyday Americans are sending a clear message: Take your hands off our healthcare, our Social Security, our civil rights, our freedom and our education,” their message continued. “The outpouring of energy was fueled by widespread outrage at efforts to dismantle programs that serve working families and middle-class communities.”

And despite Musk implying the protests are inorganic on X due to “puppetmasters” at work, the organizers in question have ensured that “a commitment to non-violent action is a core principle behind all Hands Off events,” adding: “All hosts and participants are expected to seek to de-escalate any potential confrontation with those who disagree with their values.”

TheWrap has reached out to MoveOn for further comment.

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