Thousands of protesters gathered around the Washington Monument in Washington on April 5, as part of the nationwide “Hands Off!” day of protest against the Trump administration.
As the crowds pressed in, several Democratic lawmakers joined with political activists delivering remarks from the Sylvan Theater stage, a short distance from the Washington Monument.
“We need to use everything in our toolbox. We can’t afford to brush aside any part of our movement. We need mutual aid. We need protest. We need direct action. We need a legislative strategy,” Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.) called out from the stage. “We need to be in the courts litigating, because I promise you our opposition are not leaving any tools in their toolbox.”
The demonstration in the nation’s capital was just one component of a heavily coordinated event duplicated in cities across the United States.
Nearly 200 organizations partnered to support more than 1,000 demonstrations scheduled across all 50 states.
Among the groups represented were LGBT, pro-abortion, and environmental advocacy organizations, as well as unions and Democratic Party organizers.
If you want a country that still believes in due process, we have to fight for it. If you believe in a country where we take care of our neighbors, look after the poor, and make sure our children have a future they can believe in, we have to fight for it,” Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) said at the Washington rally.
A Broad Coalition of Concerns
While frustration with the Trump administration drove so many out to their local protest events and rallies, demonstrators at the ground level offered a mix of views about what’s upsetting them and what things need to change.Speaking with The Epoch Times at one rally in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Andrea Davis said, “I want to see the Democrats really activate and really do something huge.” Gesturing to the crowds of several hundred gathered along the banks of the Tennessee River, Davis said, “This is a start, but we’ve got to work harder.”
Views on Democrats, Trump Mixed
Demonstrators didn’t all confine their criticisms to the Trump administration.On her way to join other demonstrators in the nation’s capital, Renee Steinhagen told The Epoch Times she was specifically out to share her disappointment with the U.S. policy toward the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip, which she described as “the Trump administration perpetuating the policy that the Biden administration did.”
After terrorist group Hamas attacked southern Israel and took hostages on Oct. 7, 2023, Israeli forces launched a military campaign to eliminate Hamas and recover the captives.
Gaza’s public health ministry, which operates under the auspices of the territory’s Hamas-led government, reported that tens of thousands of people were killed in the ongoing fighting. The Gaza health ministry doesn’t differentiate between combatants and non-combatants, and exact casualty figures cannot be independently verified.
In March 2025, Israeli forces resumed combat operations in the war-torn Gaza Strip.
Rachel Overstreet, another demonstrator at the Washington event, said she opposes some aspects of U.S. foreign policy. She said her frustration extends both toward U.S. policy regarding the Gaza conflict and toward the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
Devin McCullough, who wore a red shirt that read “Stop Genocide in Gaza” as he stood with other protesters in Chattanooga, also voiced concerns about civilian deaths in the war-torn territory and told The Epoch Times he has been disheartened by Democrats. McCullough, who said he has always leaned liberal, said he still felt like he should join the nationwide protests against the Trump administration.
“I feel like this current administration has kind of steamrolled over everything. And that’s one of the reasons why I’m out here,” he said.
Along with his red Gaza shirt, McCullough held up a poster criticizing Trump’s recent tariff actions.
Asked how he felt about Musk and the DOGE, McCullough said he’s not opposed to efforts to streamline government processes and eliminate wasteful spending but is worried by the DOGE approach.
Counter-Protests Muted
As the anti-Trump demonstrators lined the streets a block away from the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga on April 5, an event coordinator offered instructions for what to do if attendees met with people not aligned with the protest event. She instructed attendees to be non-violent and open to an exchange of views if possible but advised everyone to keep their distance if a counter-protester appeared overly confrontational.The event coordinator further instructed that attendees should chant “U.S.A., U.S.A.” over any confrontational counter-protesters. This chant, she said, would serve as a signal for a security team dressed in orange reflective vests to help keep opposing sides separated.
At one point during the Chattanooga protest, a white pickup truck flying Trump campaign flags began rolling slowly down the street, lined on either side by the anti-Trump protesters. The passengers in the truck were met with a mix of the “U.S.A.” chant, boos, whistles, and jeers. The truck made a few more passes along the protest route.
An hour into the Chattanooga protest, a handful of obvious counter-protesters had emerged. One identified himself to The Epoch Times only as Steve, while a second said his name was William. After a brief confrontation with the anti-Trump protesters, both men elected to remain a short distance away from the main crowd.
Brooke Hadden said she came out to the April 5 protest to see what was going on and to exchange views. Standing aside from the main crowd, Hadden and Steve debated a variety of topics, ranging from immigration to whether men should be able to compete in women’s sports.
“There are causes here that I actually will agree with and care about, and there are some that I am not behind,” Hadden said.
At the rally in Washington, signs of any organized counter-protest were similarly sparse.
The Epoch Times crossed paths with a group of high schoolers from Alabama, all of whom were wearing Trump-supporting apparel and merchandise. Some of those in the group said they happened upon the anti-Trump protest by coincidence.
