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‘Hands off’ protest 2025: What are demonstrators demanding from Trump administration? White House reacts
The “Hands Off!” protests are scheduled to take place across the US on Saturday and it is expected to be the biggest one day protest against Trump and Musk.
The “Hands Off!” protests are scheduled to take place across the United States on Saturday and it is expected to be the biggest one day protest against President Donald Trump and his billionaire buddy Elon Musk.
The “Hands Off!” demonstrations will allow Trump's detractors to express their disapproval in large numbers in response to his executive orders that have drastically changed US international and domestic policy.
Ezra Levin, co-founder of Indivisible, one of the groups that was organising Saturday's events, said, “This is an enormous demonstration that is sending a very clear message to Musk and Trump and congressional Republicans and all the goose-stepping allies of MAGA that we don't want their hands on our democracy, on our communities, on our schools, and our friends and our neighbors.”
Although there have been fewer protests this year, Levin said that activist leaders have been preparing to band together for major demonstrations.
Indivisible was founded after Trump's first presidential win in 2016. Since then, it has collaborated with other liberal organisations like MoveOn and the Working Families Party to bring progressive organizations around the country together.
The event's website states that about 150 activist groups have registered to take part in the protests.
In addition to all 50 states, events are planned in Canada, Britain, France, Germany, Mexico, and Portugal. The National Mall in Washington is anticipated to host one of the largest gatherings.
Here's what are Hands Off protestors' demands
End of Elon Musk's involvement: Elon Musk, the head of the Department of Government Efficiency, and Trump are being accused of reducing public services while granting the Tesla and SpaceX CEO greater authority over national processes.
No cuts to critical program: Despite the Trump administration promises that only "waste and fraud" will be cut, activists believe Trump's suggested expenditure reforms will undermine Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, making working-class Americans even more vulnerable.
Defend underprivileged communities: The demonstrations also draw attention to growing worries about federal policies that specifically target transgender people, immigrants, and other vulnerable groups that rights advocates claim are being attacked.
Here's what White House has said
Liz Huston, the Assistant Press Secretary for the White House, denied the demonstrators' accusations that Trump intended to reduce Medicaid and Social Security.
According to Huston, Trump has made it clear that he would always defend Medicaid, Social Security, and Medicare for those who qualify. “The Democrats' stance is giving Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare benefits to illegal aliens, which will bankrupt these programs and crush American seniors,” Huston stated in an email to AFP.
