“Hands off!” protests across the country against the Trump administration’s policies, cuts to research, education, veterans services and immigration raids

The couple said they were involved in multiple protests back at home. Even though they were too young to join the demonstrations of the Vietnam War, they are still committed to their activism.

Demonstrators gathered across the country on Saturday, many animated by differing issues, but united in opposition to the Trump administration with the single message: “Hands off!”

Since President Trump took office in January, various protests have taken place against his administration’s plans and policies — from the mass firing of federal workers to immigration raids to the involvement of billionaire Elon Musk in the federal government.

“There are so many issues,” said Kelley Laird from Rockville, Md., who attended a rally in Washington, D.C., on Saturday. “They’re coming after education, coming after health care, coming after the arts, coming after the press.”

In Boston, protesters gathered to push back against the federal cuts on research and against the arrest of Rümeysa Öztürk, a Tufts University doctoral student who was arrested by federal agents in plain clothes, as member station WBUR reported.

In Sylva, N.C., over 300 people came together to oppose cuts to national parks, education and veteran services, according to BPR News. Several thousand people rallied in Portland, Ore., to protest what they described as an “illegal, billionaire power grab” by Trump and Musk.

In D.C., thousands filled the grass near the Washington Monument, holding up signs supporting reproductive rights, LGBTQ rights, Social Security, veterans benefits, and opposing tariffs.

The D.C. oath: Protecting the First 5 Years of Human Rights, the Future of Social Security and Veterans’ Benefits

Trump took office in the fall, and Laird and her neighbors formed a group chat. They use group chat to coordinate attending protests and offer support.

“This  is first time that I am trying to regularly participate,” said Patty Kim, a retired federal worker, who attended the D.C. rally with her husband. “I felt so frustrated and paralyzed by the bunch of things that are going on that undermine human rights and humanity in this country that I love, that I had to do something.”

Colleen and Sonia say they view it as a continuation of the military oath they took several years ago to protect Americans.

“We have taken an oath to protect against all enemies foreign and domestic, and we have to do that too, but I don’t think either Sonya or I thought we’d have to,” said the man who took the oath.

They are especially concerned with the future of Social Security and veterans’ benefits. While the White House has insisted that the Trump administration will not make cuts to Social Security benefits, there are plans for major changes, including the closure of dozens of Social Security offices; the elimination of thousands of jobs; and a new policy that will require more stringent identity checks.

Al and Bev Mirmelstein were among the passengers in a three bus caravan that traveled to the D.C. rally from Charlottesville, Va., organized by the group Indivisible Charlottesville. At the protest, the Mirmelsteins held up signs that read: “Hands off our Constitution, rule of law, Social Security, free speech, health care,” and “Save our democracy.”

Demonstrators gathered in massive numbers in Daley Plaza in Chicago, Illinois, too, where a CBS Chicago livestream showed what looked like many thousands of people streaming from one side of the street to another for many blocks while this story was being written. Protests are taking place in Berlin, Germany and London, England.

Last weekend, “Tesla Takedown” protests targeted Tesla showrooms around the country to show disapproval for Musk, its CEO, who has spearheaded an effort to carry out mass federal workforce layoffs and hollow out government agencies. As Tesla’s sales have plummeted this quarter, Musk has threatened to “go after” the company’s critics, while the FBI has created a task force to investigate individual acts of vandalism and other actions aimed at the company.