What is the ‘Hands Off!’ rally to take place against Donald Trump?

Tensions are expected to flare across the United States this Saturday, April 5, as thousands of demonstrators join a wave of anti-Trump protests. Branded under the Hands Off! campaign, organizers have scheduled over 1,000 events nationwide as part of what they’re calling a National Day of Action. A massive turnout is anticipated, with more than 250,000 protestors projected to take part across the country, according to advocacy group MoveOn.
The largest of these gatherings is planned for Washington, D.C., where demonstrators will assemble on the National Mall. Attendees are being asked to arrive at the Sylvan Theater around 11 AM, with speeches and programming set to begin at noon. As of early this week, around 12,500 protestors are expected at the D.C. rally, a MoveOn spokesperson confirmed.
Many of the demonstrators say they’re marching against what they describe as an unprecedented consolidation of power by Trump and Musk.
“Donald Trump and Elon Musk think this country belongs to them. They’re taking everything they can get their hands on, and daring the world to stop them,” reads a fiery statement on the Hands Off! campaign website. “On Saturday, April 5th, we’re taking to the streets nationwide to fight back with a clear message: Hands off!”
Organizers say this will be the largest coordinated protest event since President Donald Trump began his second term. The demonstration is being led by a coalition of progressive advocacy groups, with MoveOn at the forefront.
The speaker lineup for the D.C. event features prominent names in politics and labor activism. Headlining the program is Maryland Representative Jamie Raskin, alongside Florida Representative Maxwell Frost, Everett Kelley of the American Federation of Government Employees, and Kelley Robinson, president of the Human Rights Campaign. Additional speakers are expected to be announced in the days leading up to the event. A complete list of partner organizations can be found online.
While Trump is the primary target of the Hands Off! campaign, the coalition has widened its scope to include Elon Musk, reflecting growing public frustration with the billionaire. Over the past weekend, protestors gathered outside more than 200 Tesla showrooms across the U.S., amid reports of falling sales and incidents of vandalism.
Earlier this year, on Inauguration Day, a similar protest called the People’s March—positioned as a follow-up to the historic 2017 Women’s March—fell short of expectations, drawing fewer than the projected 50,000 participants. But this new movement seems to have struck a stronger nerve, combining political resistance with economic discontent.