Progressive activists and Democrat lawmakers will join forces in cities across all 50 states on Saturday, April 5, for a coordinated day of protests targeting former President Donald Trump and entrepreneur Elon Musk. Dubbed the “Hands Off” movement, the event accuses Trump and Musk of seeking control over key government programs and civil liberties.
Organizers claim the protests aim to defend what they call “essential services” such as government-run healthcare, Social Security, public education, and expansive civil rights policies. The movement’s website states, “Donald Trump and Elon Musk think this country belongs to them,” and blames both men for alleged efforts to “loot” national programs.
The protests are backed by left-wing advocacy groups including the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Planned Parenthood Action Fund, the League of Women Voters, and several climate and election-related organizations. Many of these groups have long opposed Trump-era policies, including restrictions on abortion, voter ID laws, and rollbacks of radical gender ideology in public institutions.
One of the central protests will take place in Boston, Massachusetts, where marchers will head to City Hall Plaza. Senator Ed Markey, a progressive Democrat, is scheduled to headline the rally at 12:30 p.m. Organizers also announced that the far-left rock band Dropkick Murphys will perform an acoustic set during the event.
Protest slogans include calls to protect “healthcare, Social Security, civil rights, freedom, and education” from what participants describe as a billionaire takeover. The movement blames Republicans and conservative leaders for allegedly trying to gut programs serving “working families” while expanding influence for the wealthy.
The protests follow recent policy moves by the Trump-aligned Department of Education and Department of Justice to restore biological definitions of sex in federal law, remove gender ideology from public education, and cut funding from programs that violate Title IX protections for female students.
Although Trump has not yet responded directly to the protest plans, his policies continue to draw a sharp line between conservative constitutional governance and progressive demands for government expansion, taxpayer-funded services, and gender-fluid policy enforcement.
