Opponents of President Trump’s administration took to the streets of communities large and small across the U.S. on Saturday, decrying what they see as threats to the nation’s democratic ideals.
The events ranged from rallies in midtown Manhattan and in front of the White House to a demonstration at a Massachusetts commemoration marking the start of the American Revolutionary War 250 years ago.
Thomas Bassford drove from his home, some three hours away in Maine, to witness the reenactment of the Battles of Lexington and Concord and “the shot heard ’round the world” on April 19, 1775, that heralded the start of the nation’s war for independence from Britain.
The 80-year-old retired mason said he believed Americans today are under attack from their own government and need to stand up against it.
“This is a very perilous time in America for liberty,” he said, as he first battles of the war for Independence with his partner, daughter and two grandsons. “I wanted the boys to learn about the origins of this country and that sometimes we have to fight for freedom.”
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Elsewhere, protests were planned outside Tesla car dealerships against billionaire Trump adviser Elon Musk and his role in downsizing the federal government, while still others organized more community-service events, such as food drives, teach-ins and volunteering at local shelters.
Protests have been occurring recently across the U.S. In early April, opponents of Mr. Trump and billionaire Musk rallied across the U.S. to protest the administration’s actions on government downsizing, the economy, human rights and other issues.
More than 1,200 “Hands Off!” demonstrations were planned by more than 150 groups, including civil rights organizations, labor unions, LGBTQ advocates, veterans and election activists.
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Organizers say they’re protesting against what they view as Trump’s civil rights and constitutional violations, including efforts to deport scores of immigrants and scale back the federal government by firing thousands of government workers and effectively shuttering entire agencies.
Some of the events drew on the spirit of the American Revolutionary War, calling for “no kings” and resistance to tyranny.
Boston resident George Bryant was among those who turned out in Concord. He said he was concerned Trump was creating a “police state” in America as he held up a sign saying, “Trump fascist regime must go now!”
“He’s defying the courts. He’s kidnapping students. He’s eviscerating the checks and balances,” Bryant said. “This is fascism.”
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In Washington, Bob Fasick said he came out to the rally by the White House out of concern about threats to constitutionally protected due process rights, as well as Social Security and other federal safety-net programs.
The Trump administration, among other things, has moved to shutter Social Security Administration field offices, cut funding for government health programs and scale back protections for transgender people.
“I cannot sit still knowing that if I don’t do anything and everybody doesn’t do something to change this, that the world that we collectively are leaving for the little children, for our neighbors is simply not one that I would want to live,” said the 76-year-old retired federal employee from Springfield, Virginia.
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For the second time this month, Chicago’s Daley Plaza filled up and city streets shut down for anti-Trump protesters on Saturday, in a demonstration that coincided with protests all over the country. The gathering, called the People’s Protest, was organized by the 50501 movement — short for “50 states, 50 protests, 1 movement.”
“The more people come out, the quicker the government will change,” protester Jim Coleman said. “There’s a lot of energy. People are very upset right now.”
The 50501 Movement began as an idea on Reddit, CBS Colorado reported. Since then, the movement has grown thanks to grassroots organizers, sparking multiple days of protests across the country, including at least 400 events in Colorado.
In Philadelphia, over a thousand people gathered in to join what’s called the “No Kings” protest, denouncing the policies and actions of the White House that they say are anti-democratic.
“Right now, our people are facing federally-funded programs that are being disappeared by the government; they’re being cut, people are losing their jobs right now, people are concerned about their immigrant family members. People are concerned about the state of this nation,” Talia Giles told CBS Philadelphia.
And in Manhattan, protesters rallied against continued deportations of immigrants from the steps of the New York Public Library.
“No fear, no hate, no ICE in our state,” they chanted to the steady beat of drums, referring to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Marshall Green, who was among the protesters, said he was most concerned that Trump has invoked the wartime Alien Enemies Act of 1798 by claiming the country is at war with Venezuelan gangs linked to the South American nation’s government.
“Congress should be stepping up and saying no, we are not at war. You cannot use that,” said the 61-year-old from Morristown, New Jersey. “You cannot deport people without due process, and everyone in this country has the right to due process no matter what.”
Melinda Charles, of Connecticut, said she was most worried about what she viewed as Trump’s “executive overreach,” citing his clashes with the federal courts to Harvard University and other elite colleges that he views as too liberal.
“We’re supposed to have three equal branches of government and to have the executive branch become so strong, I mean, it’s just unbelievable,” she said.
Joseph Frederick / AP
