Protesters packed streets across the U.S. and around the world on Saturday, sending a clear message: they won’t stand for what many are calling the “most brazen power grab in modern history.” These protests, organized by nearly 200 advocacy groups, took place in over 1,000 locations on Saturday, marking the largest day of collective action since Donald Trump’s second inauguration.
The demonstrations targeted Trump’s administration’s policies, including deep cuts to health programs, mass layoffs of federal workers, and efforts to close down government agencies. Organizers said the protest was a response to growing attacks on civil rights, healthcare, democracy, and workers’ rights, which they believe are being undermined by the Trump administration and the Republican-controlled Congress.
Elon Musk, who now leads the Department of Government Efficiency, was also under fire for slashing federal programs, firing thousands of workers, and pushing to shut down key government buildings. Critics accuse him of wrecking essential public services while his company flourishes.
Trump’s administration is also entangled in numerous legal battles, as it moves aggressively to deport immigrants, impose harsh tariffs, and ban transgender people from serving in the military.
Rahna Epting, executive director of MoveOn, called the protests a “powerful” display of unity.
“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,” Epting said in a statement. She added, “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.”
At the National Mall in Washington, D.C., Rep. Jamie Raskin from Maryland didn’t hold back when addressing Trump’s recent tariff plan, which sent the stock market into a tailspin.
“No moral person wants an economy-crushing dictator who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing,” Raskin said. He went on to add, “There’s no prosperity with stupid trade wars against the whole world. There’s no prosperity with stock market collapse and mass unemployment. There’s no future with presidents who have the politics of Mussolini and the economics of Herbert Hoover.”
Raskin also warned the administration to keep its “hands off” Greenland, Canada, and the Panama Canal—areas Trump has reportedly eyed for potential U.S. control.
Florida Rep. Maxwell Alejandro Frost followed Raskin, targeting the growing power of billionaires and corporations.
“This insidious rise of authoritarianism is being driven by a small group of people who are out of touch with reality,” Frost said. He criticized the right-wing movement, calling it “run by fear, trying to put us against one another.” He continued, “We’re in this situation not because of our neighbors. I promise you, your bank account looks a lot more like your trans neighbors and your immigrant neighbors and nothing like Elon Musk.”
As millions took to the streets, Trump spent the weekend golfing in Florida—far from the protests demanding accountability and change.
See more photos of the protests below:
