Napa, CA — Thousands of Californians took to the streets on Saturday as part of a nationwide series of Hands Off! demonstrations, voicing their opposition to the policies of President Donald Trump and his billionaire advisor, Elon Musk. From the northern to southern borders of the Golden State, crowds of activists marched and rallied to protest a range of actions taken by the Trump administration, including mass layoffs, spending cuts, deportations, and trade tariffs.
The Hands Off! demonstrations were organized across more than 1,200 locations in all 50 states by over 150 groups, including civil rights organizations, labor unions, LGBTQ+ advocates, veterans, and election activists, according to reports from The Associated Press. In California alone, the protests were widespread, with rallies taking place in major cities and smaller towns alike.
In Los Angeles, the largest protest drew thousands of people to Pershing Square, where they rallied before marching through nearly a mile of city streets. The event included speeches from prominent political figures such as Alan Vargas of the California Young Democrats, who energized the crowd with his call to “be loud, be noisy, be disruptive.” Demonstrators carried signs demanding that Trump and Musk “keep their hands off education, healthcare, social programs, and more.”
While the protests were overwhelmingly peaceful, they were met with criticism from Trump’s allies in the state. Roxanne Hoge, the Los Angeles County Republican Party Chairwoman, dismissed the marches as “tantrums,” asserting that they would not sway the administration’s policies. “Their boring, predictable tantrums are now part of the L.A. landscape,” Hoge said, drawing a comparison to the city’s well-known homeless encampments. She called on Democrats to focus on “good governance and public safety” instead of engaging in what she considered fruitless protests.
Despite such dismissals, the protests were met with support from various Democratic leaders. In San Francisco, State Assemblymember Scott Wiener, a Democrat, delivered an impassioned speech at a rally in Civic Center Plaza. “We either hang together or we hang separately,” he said, urging attendees to remain strong in the face of what he called “authoritarian” policies. The protest in San Francisco was one of many taking place across Northern California, including hundreds of people who gathered in Livermore, holding signs demanding the preservation of public services.
In Southern California, the demonstrations were just as widespread, with at least 100 planned protests throughout the region, including in cities like Glendale, Riverside, and Santa Ana. One of the largest gatherings in the area occurred in downtown San Diego, where an estimated 12,000 people participated in a march that stretched from Civic Center Plaza through the streets. Rep. Sara Jacobs, a Democrat from San Diego, attended the protest and expressed her enthusiasm for the energy of the crowd. “I’m ready to go back to D.C. and keep fighting,” she said, vowing to continue pushing back against the administration’s agenda.
Smaller rallies also took place in other parts of the state, such as the Temecula Duck Pond and Veterans Memorial, where about 500 people turned out for the Hands Off! protest. “This was the largest protest I’ve ever seen in Temecula,” said Julie Geary, one of the demonstrators.
The Hands Off! protests were part of a larger national movement that aimed to challenge what many see as the harmful impact of the Trump administration’s policies on vulnerable communities. The demonstrations were a testament to the deep political divisions in the country, with activists across California standing in stark contrast to the administration’s supporters, who dismissed the protests as futile.
As the protests wound down, the message was clear: many Californians remain deeply opposed to the direction of the nation under the Trump administration and are committed to making their voices heard. Whether the demonstrations will lead to tangible political change remains uncertain, but they served as a powerful reminder of the enduring impact of grassroots activism in shaping the political landscape.