"Stop Destroying America!" – Thousands Protest Against Trump in the US and Europe

WELT "Stop Destroying America!" – Thousands Protest Against Trump in the US and Europe 25 minutes • 2 minutes reading time Under the slogan "Hands Off!", protests against President Trump and his radical policies are taking place in US cities across the country. More than 20,000 people gathered in the capital, Washington. Rallies against the US government are also taking place in several European cities. After a few weeks of Donald Trump's new term in office, resistance is forming against the US President and his administration. Thousands demonstrated in several US cities on Saturday. In the capital, Washington, thousands of people marched to the National Mall near the White House under the slogan "Hands Off!" to express their displeasure with the Republican and his advisor, Elon Musk. These were the largest anti-Trump demonstrations since his return to the White House. Rallies against Trump also took place in several European cities. The demonstrators in Washington carried signs with slogans such as "Not my president!", "Stop destroying America!", "Shame on Trump!", "Hands off the rule of law!", and "Hands off Social Security." A loose alliance of left-wing groups had called for protests against Trump in more than 1,000 US cities. The demonstrators criticized, among other things, Trump's actions against undocumented immigrants, the slashing of federal agencies and government programs, and the president's aggressive tariff policy. They also accused the 78-year-old of undermining democracy and the rule of law. "It is extremely disturbing to see what is happening to our government and that the separation of powers is being completely overrun," said 66-year-old protester Jane Ellen Saums. Civil rights activist Graylan Hagler said the Trump administration had awakened "a sleeping giant." "We will not sit down, we will not be silent, and we will not go away." Demonstrators form a human circle around a US flag on Ocean Beach in San Francisco. These were the largest protests against Trump since he took office in January. However, far fewer demonstrators were expected than after Trump's first inauguration in 2017, when an estimated half a million people attended a large rally in Washington, known as the Women's March. Organizers of Saturday's rally in the US capital had expected 20,000 demonstrators, but by the afternoon they had already reported a significantly higher turnout. Demonstrations against Trump and Musk, who is pushing for government cuts for the right-wing populist president, also took place on Saturday in European capitals such as Berlin, London, Rome, and Paris. "What's happening in America is everyone's problem," said demonstrator Liz Chamberlin in London. Trump's trade policies will cause a "global recession." Since taking office, US politicians have been pushing a radical policy agenda, encompassing foreign policy, migration policy, and economic policy, among other things. The 78-year-old is claiming unprecedented powers for a US president, which has led to a flood of lawsuits. Critics accuse Trump of seriously damaging democracy in the country. The Democrats who opposed Trump's predecessor, Joe Biden, seem paralyzed by the speed with which the Republican is implementing his policies.