Tens of thousands in U.S. march against Trump 'devastation'

Tens of thousands of protesters flooded the streets of major U.S. cities on Saturday to oppose the divisive policies of President Donald Trump in the largest demonstrations since his return to the White House.

Opponents of the Republican president's policies – from government staffing cuts to trade tariffs and eroding civil liberties – rallied in Washington, New York, Houston, Florida, Colorado, Los Angeles, and other locations.

Terry Klein, a retired biomedical scientist from Princeton, New Jersey, was among those who gathered by the stage beneath the Washington Monument.

She said she drove down to attend the rally to protest Trump's policies on "everything from immigration to the DOGE stuff to the tariffs this week, to education. I mean, our whole country is under attack, all of our institutions, all the things that make America what it is."

'Economic lunacy'

In Washington, thousands of demonstrators – many traveling from across the United States – gathered at the National Mall, where dozens of speakers rallied opposition to Trump.

"We have about 100 people who have come down by bus and van from New Hampshire to protest against this outrageous administration (that) is causing us to lose our allies across the world and causing devastation to people here at home," said Diane Kolifrath, 64, a bike tour guide.

"They're gutting our government."

Wayne Hoffman, 73, a retired money manager from West Cape May, New Jersey, said he was concerned about Trump's economic policies, including his widespread use of tariffs.

"It's going to cost the farmers in the red states. It's going to cost people their jobs – certainly their 401Ks. People have lost tens of thousands of dollars," Hoffman said.

In Denver, Colorado, one man in a large crowd of protesters held up a placard reading "No king for USA."

In the U.S., a loose coalition of left-leaning groups like MoveOn and Women's March organized "Hands Off" events in more than 1,000 cities and every congressional district, the groups said.

The rallies even extended to some European capitals, where demonstrators voiced opposition to Trump and his aggressive trade policies.

"What's happening in America is everyone's problem," Liz Chamberlin, a dual U.S.-British citizen, told AFP at a London rally.

"It's economic lunacy. He is going to push us into a global recession."

And in Berlin, 70-year-old retiree Susanne Fest said Trump had created "a constitutional crisis," adding, "The guy is a lunatic."

'Fascism'

Trump has angered many Americans by moving aggressively to downsize the government, unilaterally impose conservative values, and sharply pressure even friendly countries over borders and trade, causing stock markets to tangle.

"We're out here to stop the, honestly, fascism," protester Dominic Santella told AFP in Boston. "We're stopping a leader from jailing his opponents, stopping him from jailing just random people, immigrants."

Many Democrats are irate that their party, in the minority in both houses of Congress, has seemed so helpless to resist Trump's moves.

At the National Mall, just blocks from the White House, thousands heard speakers, including Representative Jamie Raskin, a Democrat who served as impeachment manager during Trump's second impeachment.

"No moral person wants an economy-crashing dictator who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing," he told the crowd.

Activist Graylan Hagler, 71, also addressed the protest, saying, "They've woken up a sleeping giant, and they haven't seen nothing yet."

"We will not sit down, we will not be quiet, and we will not go away."

As Trump continues upending Washington, his approval rating has fallen to its lowest since taking office, according to recent polling.

(With input from agencies)