Reports are flooding in about massive protests across the US and internationally on April 5th, targeting President Donald Trump and Elon Musk. The ‘Hands Off!’ protests, organized by over 150 groups including MoveOn and Indivisible, saw hundreds of thousands, and possibly millions, take to the streets. The exact numbers are still being debated, but the sheer scale of the demonstrations is undeniable.
MoveOn estimates millions participated across the 1,300+ events, with over 100,000 attending the Washington D.C. protest alone. Their press release boldly claims millions flooded the streets globally. Indivisible echoed this sentiment, stating that crowds consistently exceeded expectations in virtually every location, even in smaller towns and cities where they reported the largest protests ever seen.
However, other news outlets offer more conservative estimates in the hundreds of thousands. The Guardian, The Hill, and Al Jazeera all reported numbers within this range. While these figures are substantial, they differ significantly from the millions claimed by protest organizers. Specific numbers from individual cities are emerging; Axios reported over 45,000 in Raleigh, North Carolina, and over 100,000 each in Washington D.C. and New York City. WBEZ Chicago cites over 30,000 participants in Chicago.
Adding to the uncertainty, the 50501 movement, a prominent protest group, claimed over 3 million participants nationwide via social media. This wide range of figures highlights the challenges in accurately gauging the size of widespread, decentralized protests.
Regardless of the precise number, the protests clearly demonstrated significant public opposition to Trump and Musk. Concerns ranged from Trump’s trade policies and Musk’s controversial actions as head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), to issues like LGBTQ+ rights and the war in Ukraine. The widespread participation, regardless of the exact numbers, underscores the depth of public concern and the potential for large-scale mobilization around these issues.
