(CNN) 鈥� Over against President Donald Trump and Elon Musk are expected across all 50 states on Saturday, organized by a pro-democracy movement in response to what they call a 鈥渉ostile takeover鈥� and attack on American rights and freedoms.
The 鈥淗ands Off!鈥� mass-action protests will take place at state capitols, federal buildings, congressional offices, Social Security鈥檚 headquarters, parks and city halls throughout the entire country 鈥� anywhere 鈥渨e can make sure they hear us,鈥� organizers say.
鈥淲hether you are mobilized by the attacks on our democracy, the slashing of jobs, the invasion of privacy, or the assault on our services 鈥� this moment is for you,鈥� the event flyers . 鈥淲e are setting out to build a massive, visible, national rejection of this crisis.鈥�
Nearly to attend the events, some which will also take place in other countries, according to , one of the organizations leading the movement in collaboration with a nationwide coalition that includes civil rights organizations, veterans, women鈥檚 rights groups, labor unions and LGBTQ+ advocates.
Organizers say they have : 鈥渁n end to the billionaire takeover and rampant corruption of the Trump administration; an end to slashing federal funds for Medicaid, Social Security, and other programs working people rely on; and an end to the attacks on immigrants, trans people, and other communities.鈥�
CNN has reached out to the White House for a statement.
State representatives speak at protests
During the Hands Off! protest in Washington, DC, multiple representatives took to the podium to speak about the Trump administration, including Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland, who said there is no future with a president who has 鈥渢he politics of Mussolini and the economics of Herbert Hoover.鈥�
鈥淥ur founders wrote a Constitution that does not begin with 鈥榃e the dictators,鈥� the preamble says 鈥榃e the people,鈥欌� Raskin said in front of a crowd of hundreds holding signs slamming the administration. 鈥淣o moral person wants an economy-crashing dictator who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing.鈥�
Florida Rep. Maxwell Frost urged people to take action by protesting, donating to mutual aid, participating in direction action and focusing on legislative strategies.
锘�鈥淭hroughout human history, authoritarians, they鈥檙e never satisfied with the power they have, and so they test the bounds, they push the limits, they break the law, and then they look at the public to see if they鈥檙e quiet or if they鈥檙e loud,鈥� said Frost.
Since Trump took office, his administration has been vocal about its efforts to cut federal spending, regardless of who it may harm. Thousands of federal workers have been laid off or immediate termination notifications as part of Trump and Musk鈥檚 plan to downsize the federal government.
And Musk, the world鈥檚 richest man, has aggressively pushed policies to reduce spending as the head of the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, all while repeatedly the public about federal spending.
He that he put USAID 鈥� an agency that feeds some of the world鈥檚 poorest, most desperate people and has saved millions of lives 鈥� 鈥渋n the wood chipper.鈥�
They that support fragile democracies abroad and put on leave federal workers who protect US elections at home in a move that current and former officials say abandons decades of American commitments to democracy.
The Social Security Administration, responsible for monthly benefits , is now in turmoil after a massive reorganization, including cutting thousands of employees.
Trump and his team have also taken extraordinary measures to crack down on immigration, to pick up the pace of migrant arrests and touting mass deportation plans despite the administration making multiple missteps in recent weeks, including .
鈥淭hey tell us that immigrants are stealing our jobs, but they鈥檙e the ones shipping jobs overseas and hiring corporate lawyers to go and union bust,鈥� said Frost.
鈥淭hey tell us that trans people are a threat to our children, but they鈥檙e the ones dismantling public education. They鈥檙e the ones denying the climate crisis. They鈥檙e the ones poisoning our planet. They鈥檙e the ones doing nothing about the national public health emergency of gun violence,鈥� Frost added.
The Trump administration has frequently questioned climate science and said it will including rules that target pollution from vehicles and power plants, in a major blow to America鈥檚 progress on clean air, clean water and climate action. the federal government to re-evaluate its gun policies and all ongoing litigation that could restrict Americans鈥� gun rights.
Frost called the current state of politics in America an 鈥渋nsidious rise of authoritarianism鈥� fueled by 鈥渃orrupt billionaires and mega corporations鈥� who think they have a right to control all aspects of the lives of their citizens, including freedom of speech.
The arrest of Mahmoud Khalil, a whose green card was revoked over his involvement in demonstrations at Columbia University, has raised chilling questions about whether people can truly exercise their constitutionally protected right to free speech.
鈥淥ur communities are paying the price while the Trumps and Musks of the world cash in. It鈥檚 not just about money 鈥� it鈥檚 about power,鈥� Hands Off! organizers . 鈥淭his administration is targeting everybody who isn鈥檛 part of the 1% 鈥� veterans, kids, seniors, farmers, immigrants, transgender people, and political opponents. All to consolidate power and reward their allies.鈥�
Labor union presidents speak out
Two federal employee union presidents spoke out on Saturday against Trump and his policies targeting federal workers at the protest in DC.
鈥�(The) Trump administration is absolutely destroying public services in this country. That鈥檚 right. They claim to be making government more efficient,鈥� said National Federation of Federal Employees President Randy Erwin. 鈥淭hat is a joke, people. That is a cruel joke. They鈥檙e doing the exact opposite.鈥�
NFFE and the American Federation of Government Employees are a part of a coalition of unions that filed a lawsuit in the US District Court in San Francisco this week seeking to stop the Trump administration from for many federal employees.
鈥淭hey thought we were easy targets. But let me tell you something about union members and veterans. We will not be intimidated. I鈥檓 a veteran myself. I鈥檓 an Army veteran. We will not be silenced. We will not bow down. We鈥檒l stand up and say hands off our union. We鈥檒l stand up and say hands off our contract,鈥� AFGE President Everett Kelley said.
Erwin called the move by the Trump administration 鈥渢he biggest assault on collective bargaining that we have ever seen in this country.鈥�
鈥淎FGE has been in the courts, in the media, in Congress, and here with you on the street. And not only are we in the court, but we are kicking their behind while we鈥檙e in the court, and we鈥檙e going to continue to kick their behind,鈥� Kelley said.
Since taking office, Trump has sought to reshape the federal workforce. In one of his earliest moves, he ended remote work for government employees and agencies were provided guidance on how they can override union collective bargaining agreements on telework and remote work.
At least 121,361 workers have been fired from federal agencies so far, as of CNN鈥檚 latest tally on March 28.
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