Tens of thousands of protesters flooded the streets of major US cities on Saturday to oppose the divisive policies of President Donald Trump, in the largest demonstrations since his return to the White House.
Opponents of the Republican president’s policies – from government staffing cuts to trade tariffs and eroding civil liberties – rallied in Washington, New York, Houston, Florida, Colorado and Los Angeles, among other locations.
“I am so angry, I’m so mad, all the time, yes. A bunch of privileged, white alleged rapists are controlling our country. It’s not great,” said New York painter Shaina Kesner, 43, joining a crowd marching through the heart of Manhattan.
In Washington, thousands of demonstrators – many traveling from across the United States – gathered on the National Mall where dozens of speakers rallied opposition to Trump.
“We have about 100 people who have come down by bus and van from New Hampshire to protest against this outrageous administration (that) is causing us to lose our allies across the world, and causing devastation to people here at home,” said Diane Kolifrath, 64, a bike tour guide.
“They’re gutting our government.”
In Los Angeles, a woman dressed as a character from dystopian novel “The Handmaid’s Tale” waved a large flag with the message: “Get out of my uterus,” a reference to Trump’s anti-abortion policies.
In Denver, Colorado, one man in a large crowd of protesters held up a placard reading “No king for USA.”
The rallies even extended to some European capitals, where demonstrators voiced opposition to Trump and his aggressive trade policies.
“What’s happening in America is everyone’s problem,” Liz Chamberlin, a dual US-British citizen, told AFP at a London rally.
“It’s economic lunacy… He is going to push us into a global recession.”
And in Berlin, 70-year-old retiree Susanne Fest said Trump had created “a constitutional crisis,” adding, “The guy is a lunatic.”
In the US, a loose coalition of left-leaning groups like MoveOn and Women’s March organized “Hands Off” events in more than 1,000 cities and in every congressional district, the groups said.
Anger
Trump has angered many Americans by moving aggressively to downsize the government, unilaterally impose conservative values and sharply pressure even friendly countries over borders and trade, causing stock markets to tank.
“We’re out here to stop the, honestly, fascism,” protester Dominic Santella told AFP in Boston. “We’re stopping a leader from… jailing his opponents, stopping him from jailing just random people, immigrants.”
Many Democrats are irate that their party, in the minority in both houses of Congress, has seemed so helpless to resist Trump’s moves.
At the National Mall, just blocks from the White House, thousands heard speakers including Representative Jamie Raskin, a Democrat who served as impeachment manager during Trump’s second impeachment.
“No moral person wants an economy-crashing dictator who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing,” he told the crowd.
Activist Graylan Hagler, 71, also addressed the protest, saying: “They’ve woken up a sleeping giant, and they haven’t seen nothing yet.”
“We will not sit down, we will not be quiet, and we will not go away.”
Saturday’s demonstrations were largely peaceful. An upbeat atmosphere prevailed on a mild day in Washington, with protesters ranging from the elderly to young couples with infants in strollers.
A Women’s March shortly after Trump’s first election in 2016 drew an estimated half-million protesters to Washington.
Organizers for the latest Washington rally had predicted a turnout of 20,000 but by Saturday afternoon said the number appeared considerably larger.
As Trump continues upending Washington, his approval rating has fallen to its lowest since taking office, according to recent polling.
But despite global pushback to his sweeping tariffs and bubbling resentment from many Americans, the White House has dismissed the protests.
The Republican president, still popular with his base, shows no sign of relenting.
“My policies will never change,” Trump said Friday.
