PROVIDENCE – Thousands of people took to the streets on Saturday for the “Hands Off!” rally protesting the actions of President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk, mirroring similar demonstrations nationwide.
A crowd of at least 6,000 protesters met at Hope High School at noon and then marched down Thayer Street and Angell Street to Burnside Park, joined by brass bands.
Ahead of the rally, bus stops filled up with windbreaker-clad protesters clutching homemade signs. More than half an hour before the event began, over a hundred people had already gathered outside Hope High School, braving the chilly spring drizzle as they waved at passing cars.
Among the memorable slogans emblazoned on posters: “I prefer crushed ICE,” “The DOGE ate my constitution,” “The only minority ruining America is the billionaires,” “RIP the American Experiment: 1776 to 2025,” and “Suck my Paper Straw.”
Thousands of demonstrators gather in front of Hope High School in Providence on Saturday for the “Hands Off” rally protesting the actions of the Trump administration.
Before the march kicked off, organizer Zack Mezera, Rhode Island political director of the Working Families Party, addressed the crowd, urging them to also get involved at the local level.
“What has our leadership done?” he asked the crowd. “Where is Governor McKee? Why isn’t he here?”
Protesters joined in with chants of “Where is McKee?”
The “Hands Off!” rally, which took place in conjunction with thousands of similar events around the country, was organized by Indivisible Rhode Island in collaboration with Climate Action RI, the Rhode Island Working Families Party, The Womxn Project, AFL-CIO, SEIU 1199, and other local groups.
“The broad, diverse coalition aims to protect Medicare, Medicaid, reproductive health, Social Security, sustainable energy, union jobs, public education, scientific advancement, voting rights, and more,” said an announcement. “Organizers are calling on state leaders to use their authority to safeguard these programs and for citizens to consistently participate in democracy.
Rallies were also scheduled to take place on Saturday in South Kingstown and Tiverton.
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: ‘Hands Off!’ anti-Trump, Musk rally draws crowd in downtown Providence