Jamie Fishman
A sign from the "Hands Off!" protest in New York City.
On Saturday April 5, demonstrations took place in more than 1,200 cities and towns across all fifty states. According to organizers, the overarching theme of the rallies was to say “Hands Off!” to Donald Trump’s unprecedented power grabs across all areas of domestic and foreign policy. The gatherings drew large crowds in every location, with many cities saying these were the largest protest gatherings in more than a decade. The organizing website mobilize.us claimed more than 500,000 people had responded to the call by Friday night. On Thursday, First Lady Melania Trump announced that White House garden tours planned for Saturday had to be rescheduled in anticipation of large demonstrations in the nation’s capital.
Here are a series of images submitted by our readers and contributors:
Madison, Wisconsin
Norman Stockwell
Up to 10,000 people of all ages gathered at the Wisconsin State Capitol carrying mostly hand-lettered signs protesting the actions of President Donald Trump and his unelected adviser Elon Musk.
Norman Stockwell
The Madison protest included recognition of the fact that the state had just issued a strong rebuke to billionaire Elon Musk in its State Supreme Court election earlier in the week.
Washington, D.C.
Zach D. Roberts
Crowds gathered at the base of the Washington Monument for a large rally which included federal workers whose jobs were being eliminated.
Zach D. Roberts
Boston, Massachusetts
Lance Smith
Some protesters adopted the slogan “Reclaiming the Boston Common” as the state anticipates the 250th anniversary of the early days of the Revolutionary War in Lexington and Concord.
Patrick Fahey
Demonstrators in Boston’s City Hall Plaza hold a banner calling for the release of Rümeysa Öztürk, a Tufts University student from Turkey who is currently being detained after she was grabbed off the street by masked ICE agents in Somerville, Massachusetts.
Patrick Fahey
Crowds listen to speakers on Boston Common in an age-old American tradition.
Joseph Brant
After the Boston rally, many left their handmade signs on display in the fence of the King’s Chapel Burying Ground.
New York City
Jamie Fishman
New Yorkers filled the streets of downtown Manhattan with signs and banners.
Jamie Fishman
Demonstrators called attention to all of the programs being cut by the Trump Administration.
Arlington Heights, Illinois
Joeff Davis
Many cars honked loudly while driving by in support of the demonstrators, creating a loud, festive atmosphere. Jane Allen, one of the organizers of the protest, estimated the crowd at more than 2,000 people.
Joeff Davis
“There is no progress without action, and action speaks louder than words,” said Sam of Des Plaines, Illinois, when asked why she had come to the protest.
Joeff Davis
Crowds lined both sides of Northwest Highway for several blocks during the “Hands Off!” protest Saturday afternoon April 5, 2025, in Arlington Heights, Illinois, a northwestern suburb of Chicago.
St. Paul, Minnesota
Sarah Lahm
Crowds rallied at the Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul with signs and flags.