On April 5th, millions of people from Los Angeles to London flooded streets, parks, capitol buildings, and social media with one message: Hands off our rights, our communities, and our future.

The Hands Off! protests were loud, passionate, and impossible to ignore. More than 1,400 rallies took place across all 50 U.S. states, with activists fighting what they call a dangerous “billionaire power grab” - one led by Donald Trump and Elon Musk.

Organized by a coalition of civil rights organizations, labor unions, women’s rights advocates, LGBTQ+ groups, and youth-led movements, Hands Off! became the biggest protest since President Trump took office this January. People all over the U.S. demonstrated relentlessly - yes, even in front of federal departments. It’s this mobilization that’s made their message clear: We’re done being silent.

A unique quality of these protests is that they aren’t just about one issue. Protesters united around numerous common fears: the fear that democracy, public safety nets, and basic human rights are being stripped from them in a full-blown billionaire takeover.

“They tell us that trans kids are a threat to children, but they’re the ones dismantling public education. They’re the ones denying climate change. They’re the ones poisoning our planet.” - Rep. Maxwell Frost, speaking to thousands at the Washington Monument

Image Credit: Myotus from Wikimedia commons

Not Your Average Protest

What’s made this protest different from so many before it is the scale and the fuel behind it. Some organizers even estimated that millions of people participated globally! Whether it was someone holding a cardboard sign outside their local city hall or tens of thousands packed shoulder-to-shoulder in major cities, everyone united for the same cause: people feel like their rights, services, and futures are being gutted - and they’re not okay with it.

You might be wondering what the protest's name (“Hands Off!”) means. Well, the term was aimed directly at those in power, especially Donald Trump and Elon Musk. In recent months, Trump’s administration has made aggressive moves to cut public programs like Social Security and Medicaid, accelerate mass deportations, silence political opposition, and walk back protections for LGBTQ+ communities and immigrants.

Meanwhile, Musk has taken on the new role of “Department of Government Efficiency.” Instead of cutting waste, however, he’s bragged about cutting essential services - including USAID, an agency that provides food and disaster relief around the world. In Musk’s own words, he’s put it “in the wood chipper.”

“This administration is targeting everybody who isn’t part of the 1%—veterans, kids, seniors, immigrants, and trans people. All to consolidate power and reward their allies.”— From an official Hands Off! Statement

Image Credit: Magpieturtle from Wikimedia Commons

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The Gen Z Response

It isn't just the older generations showing up for these protests - it’s us, Gen Z, too. Gen Z played a crucial part in the outcome of these protests: organizing carpools, painting signs, filming TikToks, and showing up in full force.

We’ve grown up watching institutions fall apart - climate change, school shootings, healthcare crises. So when people say, “We’re too young to understand,” they’re clearly not paying attention.

One viral post captured this energy perfectly: A Gen Z protester posed with a sign reading, “I will not stay quiet so you can stay comfortable! The whole world is watching.” The photo, posted by @VoteSaveAmerica on Instagram, quickly spread across feeds, becoming a symbol of the movement’s prominent youth voice.

Image Credit: JER3L1337 from Wikimedia commons

Organizers say the protests on April 5th are definitely not the end. People all around the world are calling for continued pressure, through marches, petitions, and community organising. This is not simply a trend for Gen Z; these protests mark a major turning point. Much like the Gen Z protester’s sign said: “The world is watching.”