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By Mandy Taheri
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Thousands of demonstrators are taking part in global "Hands Off!" protests against President Donald Trump and his top adviser, billionaire Elon Musk, with hundreds rallying in "about a dozen" cities across Europe, a spokesperson for the mobilizing coalition told Newsweek on Saturday.
Why It Matters
Hands Off! is a grassroots movement and coalition of hundreds of organizations and mobilizers who want the Trump administration, including Musk, who heads the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to take their "hands off" of Social Security, federal jobs, Medicaid, and more. Trump said in a February Fox News interview that Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid benefits, will not be "touched" unless "there's fraud or something."
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The protests are taking place just days after Trump's global sweeping tariffs which 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.
Hundreds of people in European cities—including Frankfurt, Berlin, London, Lisbon and Paris—took to the streets in solidarity with American protests, highlighting the global impact of Trump's policies. In the United States, more than 1,200 "Hands Off!" demonstrations have been planned nationwide, with some already underway.
The local protests are being organized by advocacy groups, civil rights groups, labor unions, and various election and democracy activists, among others.
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What To Know
The official "Hands Off!" website calls upon local advocacy groups and organizers to mobilize people to speak up against the administration, writing: "Donald Trump and Elon Musk think this country belongs to them. They're taking everything they can get their hands on, and daring the world to stop them. On Saturday, April 5th, we're taking to the streets nationwide to fight back with a clear message: Hands off!"
The website notes that a "core principle" of the protests is "nonviolent action," and urges protesters to "act lawfully" at the events.
Before most "Hands Off!" demonstrations kicked off in the U.S., protesters across Europe, rallied in a show of "solidarity," a "Hands Off!" spokesperson told Newsweek in a phone interview on Saturday. Reuters reported that many of the protestors were American.
Protesters in London's Trafalgar Square held signs criticizing Trump, including one that read, "Elect a clown, you get a circus." Another sign called Trump "Putin's useful idiot," a reference to Russian President Vladimir Putin, while others called for "freedom not fascism."
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In Berlin, demonstrators protested outside of a Tesla showroom. Musk, who has spearheaded efforts for mass layoffs and federal cuts in his DOGE leadership role, is the CEO of Tesla. The electric vehicle brand has faced violent attacks and vandalism around the world in response to Musk's political activity. In the U.S., the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) is treating such attacks as domestic terrorism.
Sales in the European Union (EU) of vehicles made by Tesla plummeted by 49 percent year-on-year in the first two months of 2025, industry group The European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA) said.
In Frankfurt, Democrats Abroad, the official Democratic Party arm for Americans living outside the country, organized a protest, with participants holding signs calling to "Restore Democracy."
Newsweek has reached out to Democrats Abroad for comment via email on Saturday.
Hundreds of people have RSVP'd for various "Hands Off!" events organized by Democrats Abroad across France, including in Nice, Lyon, Paris and Toulouse, according to their website.
European cities have protested Trump before, as have their leaders. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Thursday, following Trump's tariff announcement the day prior, "The global economy will massively suffer. Uncertainty will spiral and trigger the rise of further protectionism."
What People Are Saying
A "Hands Off!" spokesperson told Newsweek in a phone interview on April 5: "The goal is hands off. You don't see this kind of turn out from folks unless people are frustrated, upset about what their government is doing...Hands off all the things that they [the government] is trying to take away in order to give billionaires tax cuts."
Democrats Abroad wrote in an X, formerly Twitter post on April 5: "#DemsAbroad Germany Berlin and Frankfort says Hands Off — Hands off the truth. Hands off our VA care. Hands off of our reproductive rights. Hands off our futures."
SEIU Minnesota, a large labor union, wrote in an X post on Saturday: "A huge crowd of people from all walks of life, black, brown, immigrant, native and newcomer are assembling to rally for a country run by the people, not billionaires! #mnleg #HandsOff #HandsOffMedicaid."
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."
What Happens Next?
Protests across all 50 states kicked off on Saturday. Large crowds of protesters filled the streets in major cities across the country, including Boston, New York, Chicago and Washington, D.C., with many demonstrating despite the rain.
As of Saturday afternoon, the protest on the National Mall was expected to draw the largest turnout, with more than 100,000 people previously registered.
A "Hands Off!" spokesperson told Newsweek that the coalition anticipates upwards of 1 million people to partake in events across the world.
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