Opponents of President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk are organizing rallies across the United States.
Saturday's protests are taking place in response to the U.S. administration's actions regarding budget cuts, the economy, human rights and other pressing issues.
More than 150 groups, including civil rights organizations, labor unions, LGBTQ+ rights advocates, veterans and election advocates, have planned more than 1,200 demonstrations under the slogan “Hands Off!”
Protests are planned on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., in state capitals and other locations across the country.
Mr. Trump presents his policies as responding to the best interests of the United States.
Protesters are criticizing the Trump administration's actions to lay off federal workers en masse, close local Social Security Administration offices, effectively shut down entire agencies, deport immigrants, roll back transgender rights protections, and cut federal funding for health care programs.
Mr Musk, a top presidential adviser who owns Tesla, SpaceX and the social media platform X, has played a key role in downsizing the government as head of the newly created Department of Government Effectiveness.
He claims to save taxpayers billions of dollars.
Speaking at a rally in Washington, Paul Osadebe, a lawyer for the US Department of Housing and Urban Development and a labor activist, criticized Mr. Trump, Mr. Musk and other members of the administration for undervaluing the work of federal workers to create “a basic level of economic security and strength for working people.”
He said: “Billionaires and oligarchs value only profit and power, and they don’t care about you, your life, or your community.
“And we see that they don't care who they have to destroy or hurt to achieve their goals.”
In Massachusetts, thousands of people gathered on Boston Common holding signs that read, “Hands off our democracy”; “Hands off our social security”; and, “Diversity, equality, inclusion make America strong. Hands off!”
A White House statement on the protests said: “President Trump's position is clear: he will always protect Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid for those who qualify.
“At the same time, the Democrats' position is to provide Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare benefits to illegal immigrants, which will bankrupt these programs and hurt the interests of American retirees.”
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Sourse: breakingnews.ie
