Tens of thousands join protests against Donald Trump and Elon Musk

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Tens of thousands of anti-Trump demonstrators gathered in cities around the globe on Saturday, as the impact of tariffs and cuts to government agencies galvanised the first big wave of protest against the administration.

The rallies came days after Trump upended the global economy by using rarely invoked emergency powers to unleash tariff hikes on almost every country in the world, wiping out trillions of dollars in market value.

Those who attended the protests cited a list of administration policies, from the aggressive trade levies, lay-offs across the federal workforce, deportations of legal immigrants, attacks on the transgender community, and threats to invade Greenland, as well as Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency.

Protesters also gathered in European cities including London, Lisbon and Paris, and demonstrated in front of a Tesla showroom in Berlin. The electric-vehicle maker has become a focus of protests against its billionaire chief executive, and there have been multiple attacks on vehicles and dealerships across the US.

Protesters on the National Mall in Washington — the largest gathering — held placards with slogans including “Penguins against Tariffs,” “Send Musk to Mars” and “Make my 401k Great Again.”

Peter, who asked for his last name not to be used, said that had come from Annapolis in Maryland to attend the rally in response to what he saw as an “attack on democracy” by both Trump and Musk. 

Washington resident Maya, who also asked for her identity to be concealed, said that she was protesting against “billionaire oligarchy” and added that “tariffs hurt the working class”.

The ‘Hands Off!’ movement, which organised the protests in more than 1,000 cities and towns across the US, is backed by advocacy groups focused on everything from abortion rights to climate change. It has sought to reach Americans across the political spectrum, however, by placing most emphasis on economic issues, including tariffs, the plunging stock market, and feared changes to Social Security.

“This mass mobilisation day is our message to the world that we do not consent to the destruction of our government and our economy,” read one digital flyer for the rally in Washington.

Organisers and Democrats have seized on Musk’s unpopularity to energise protesters and voters. On Tuesday, his preferred candidate, Brad Schimel, was trounced in a Supreme Court race in Wisconsin that was widely seen as a referendum on the controversial billionaire. 

The protests on Saturday are the first large-scale demonstrations against the administration since Trump began his second term in January. The president’s return to power has so far been greeted by a muted and largely disorganised response from America’s left, in contrast to the mass unrest, including the Women’s March, that greeted his first presidency.

The Democrats, meanwhile, have been gripped by factional fighting over how to respond to the administration’s agenda, which has made it difficult to present a coherent message or strategy.

Speakers at the rally in Washington called on Democratic and Republican representatives alike to use their powers in Congress to oppose Trump’s economic policies.

“The tariffs are not only imbecilic, they’re illegal, they’re unconstitutional, and we’re going to turn this around,” said Jamie Raskin, a representative for Maryland who led the Democratic impeachment effort against Donald Trump over the January 6 riot.