Anti-Trump protest on Chandler Blvd. North Hollywood Feb. 17, 2025 Nick Gartner/Public News Service
More than 1,000 protests against President Donald Trump’s policies are scheduled for this Saturday across the country, with 117 planned in California alone.
The so-called “Hands Off” protests are sponsored by a coalition of dozens of civil rights, environmental, education, social justice, and labor groups.
Hunter Dunn is the press and public relations director for the grassroots group 50501 So Cal, which stands for “50 protests in 50 states, one movement.”
“We oppose executive overreach, including pardon abuse, the institution of Project 2025 policies, and mass deportations by ICE,” Dunn outlined. “We also oppose the use of the unitary executive theory to justify ignoring the court system.”
Trump has said policies are intended to save money, fight crime, and support the domestic oil and gas industry. The rallies in downtown Los Angeles and Sacramento are expected to draw huge crowds for this national day of action.
Dunn argued that large-scale protests over a sustained period will slow down the Trump administration’s priorities and motivate people to make their voices heard at the polls in the future.
“In 2026 and 2028, all the people that are in the streets, they will vote for pro-democracy candidates that are in favor of affordable housing, universal health care, workers rights,” Dunn contended. “Any policies that actually make a difference in the lives of the average American.”
Some of the groups involved in the protests include the Women’s March, Physicians for Social Responsibility, Indivisible, MoveOn.org, Human Rights Campaign, the AFL-CIO, and the League of Conservation Voters.
