Tens of thousands of demonstrators gathered in Washington DC on Saturday, April 5 in a show of collective dissent against a variety of Trump policies enacted since January. The rally was one of dozens hosted in cities and towns across the country, where citizens expressed their fury at actions they deem anti-democratic in creative, colorful, and expressive protest signs.
Baltimore-based photographer J.M. Giordano brought two cameras to DC, one for color and one for black and white. “I was glad I was there, but this time the individual cities protests seemed to win the day,” says Giordano a day later. For him, the huge numbers didn’t convey a strong passion for change. “The anger didn’t seem to be there, not like inauguration 2016… I’m not sure if the recent deportations have chilled the protest scene in DC.”
According to the progressive organization Indivisible, one of the organizing partners of the event, these rallies took place in more than 1,000 cities across all 50 states, with close to 400,000 people signed up to attend them. Other organizing organizations include the American Civil Liberties Union, the League of Women Voters, the Planned Parenthood Action Fund and a variety of approximately 200 advocacy groups which focus on issues like voting rights, climate change, and protection for marginalized groups.
A statement from Indivisible explains that the “Hands Off” protests on April 5 included three main goals: an end to the “billionaire takeover and rampant corruption” of the Trump administration, a moratorium on cuts to Social Security, Medicare and other federal programs that working people rely on, and an end to attacks on immigrants, trans people, and other vulnerable communities.
Their website states, “Donald Trump and Elon Musk think this country belongs to them. They’re taking everything they can get their hands on, and daring the world to stop them. On Saturday, April 5th, we’re taking to the streets nationwide to fight back with a clear message: Hands off!”
