By MICHAEL SCHREIBER
A massive outpouring into the streets of U.S. towns and cities on April 5 pointed the way toward building a vigorous mass-action resistance to the Trump administration’s reactionary policies. Estimates indicate that over three million people took part in the over 1600 protests throughout all 50 states—far surpassing the expectations of the organizers. Huge crowds of people joined the protests even in majority Republican-voting states and despite chilly weather and heavy rains in many parts of the South and the Northeast.
The number of participants nationally approached that of the giant Women’s March mobilization following Trump’s first inauguration in January 2017 and the George Floyd marches in 2020.*
The general slogan of “Hands Off!” reflected the growing resentment in this country over Elon Musk’s DOGE cuts to federal agencies and to health and social services. It also echoed the rage that many people feel over the Trump administration’s slashing of democratic rights and its apparent slide into outright authoritarianism. People held colorful hand-crafted signs demanding that the administration keep its “hands off” our democracy, schools, free speech, immigrants, scientific research, Social Security, libraries, veterans’ benefits, national Constitution, Black history, civil rights, trans kids, etc.
Many protesters were angry over the excessive tariffs that Trump had announced three days before the demonstrations—sparking the conditions for a worldwide trade war, a hefty spike in prices, and a major recession. Working people, many of whom are living paycheck to paycheck, see their future as a “perfect storm,” in which necessities become more unaffordable, their jobs become more precarious, their retirement savings are gutted, and the social safety net is eviscerated.
Some April 5 events stressed additional demands. For example, people at the rally in Denver outlined five main demands to a reporter from Colorado Public Radio: End the “illegal power grab by Trump, Musk and Congressional Republicans,” end the cuts in federal funding for programs like Medicaid and Social Security, protect public lands, and end the “attacks” against immigrants and people in the LGBTQ+ community.
Some protesters held effigies of Trump and Musk, with slogans such as “Stop the illegal billionaire power grab.” The Los Angeles march featured a giant Humpty Dumpty balloon with an orange Trump-style hairdo. And marchers at the National Mall in Washington, D.C., which has been hardest hit by the DOGE-induced layoffs of some 40,000 federal workers, chanted, “Hey, hey! Ho, ho! Musk and Trump have got to go!”
Unfortunately, the national Hands Off! call included the demand for “hands off NATO.” This was an attempt to keep the protests in accord with the interests of U.S. imperialism—a major flaw that poses the question of leadership in the movement quite sharply. As it turned out, a great many demonstrators brought signs into the streets with pro-Palestinian and anti-imperialist statements. Similarly, a large number of Palestinian flags, as well as Ukrainian ones, were displayed on April 5.
The larger cities saw tremendous crowds of protesters. Initial estimates indicated that as many as 100,000 marched in New York City and Washington, 30,000 in Chicago, over 25,000 in Philadelphia, and 20,000 in Boston and Atlanta. But hundreds of much smaller communities also had large turnouts, including Prescott, Ariz. (close to 2000 protesters), Anchorage, Alaska (1500), Coeur d’Alene, Idaho (1000), and Geneva, Ill., where several thousand people lined the streets. Solidarity marches also took place in London, Paris, and Berlin.
Washington, D.C., saw two big protests on April 5. In addition to the Hands Off! march, the Let Gaza Live! march called for solidarity with the Palestinian people and an embargo on U.S. arms to Israel. The latter gathering was organized by several Palestinian, Arab-American, and Muslim groups along with ANSWER and the Party for Socialism and Liberation. The event also focused on the actions of the Trump administration in revoking some 1000 student visas (according to recent reports) and deporting non-citizens—such as Mahmoud Khalil, Rumeysa Ozturk, and Badar Khan Suri—whom the government labels as a “threat“ to U.S. foreign policy.
Reportedly, some major organizers of the Hands Off! event in Washington were reluctant to include in their march any call to halt U.S. support to Israeli genocide. Nevertheless, a number of protesters called attention to the issue with their signs and chants. Recent Gallup polls show that support for Israel has reached an all-time low in the U.S.
Moreover, it is clear to many that the current U.S. administration is even more favorable to the Zionist expansionist project than the Biden administration had been, and even more reluctant to call attention to Israeli war crimes. Trump praised Netanyahu during his White House visit as “a great leader,” and reiterated his proposal for the U.S. to “own” Gaza in order to redevelop the enclave into a posh Riviera-like resort once the Palestinians who live there are removed. However, he declined to lower the tariffs recently levied against Israel, saying, “We give Israel $4 billion a year. That’s a lot.”
Democratic Party-oriented organizations and coalitions—such as Indivisible, MoveOn, and 50501—generally took the lead in sponsoring the Hands Off! events, but close to 200 other organizations served as national “partners” and helped to build the protests in many areas.
April 5 provided signs that the labor unions—which until then, with few exceptions, had sat on their hands—might be beginning to get more active in organizing opposition to Trump’s anti-worker policies. One of the unions who endorsed the April 5 actions, the Communication Workers of America, wrote, “Our jobs and our freedom to bargain contracts are under attack. Billionaires are calling the shots in Washington, leading to mass layoffs, cuts to funding for cancer research, new hurdles for Social Security recipients, and the dismantling of the independent agencies that hold employers accountable when they violate our rights. … When our employers violate our collective bargaining agreements, when they refuse to bargain fair contracts, when they stand in the way of workers’ organizing to join our union, we use every tool we have to protect our rights.”
Democratic Party politicians spoke at many rallies—in some cities almost dominating the stage. But many demonstrators were frustrated with the Democrats’ inability or unwillingness to effectively counter the measures that Trump and his allies have put forward. One protester, a musician named Reece, told The Los Angeles Times (April 6),“I think we’ve looked to the Democrats, and we really can’t look to them to get anything done in regards to resistance, because in my view, they’re complicit with some of the things that are driving this present administration.”
The outpouring of protesters on April 5 was largely spontaneous and unorganized. Nevertheless, grassroots planning meetings and coalitions have formed in numerous cities and towns, providing the potential building blocks of a broad, diverse, and democratic protest movement nationwide. Ultimately, these coalitions must establish allies among the most oppressed communities as well as the labor movement while solidifying their demands to counter the Trump and MAGA agenda.
Following the tremendous success of the April 5 events, we should look forward to the rallies planned for April 19 around the country; 50501 states that they hope to engage some 11 million people in the events. In addition, a march oriented toward protecting the climate and defending immigrants will take place on April 19 in New York City. Further anti-Trump rallies are planned for the National Day of Action on May 1; some of the activities have trade-union backing. Workers’ Voice urges all of our readers to get involved in the coalitions that are being formed to organize these protests and to come out into the streets!
* Estimates state that between 3 million and 5 million people took part in the Women’s March of January 2017. The largest national political protest in U.S. history was probably the Moratorium Against the War in Vietnam, in October 1969; it was estimated that some 15 million people participated.
