Thousands of demonstrators took to the streets in major U.S. cities on Saturday, in the second mass protest in two weeks against President Donald Trump, with rallies denouncing his immigration policies and broader concerns over the state of American democracy.
In New York City, protesters marched carrying signs reading “No King in America” and “Resist Tyranny,” while some depicted Trump with a mustache resembling Adolf Hitler’s. “Democracy is in grave danger,” said 73-year-old Cathy Valli, a Holocaust survivor’s descendant, likening the current political climate to the rise of Nazism in the 1930s. Still, she described Trump as “too incompetent for effective fascism,” noting divisions within his administration.’
The protests followed a recent Supreme Court decision temporarily halting deportations under the 1798 “Alien Enemies Act,” a development that galvanized immigrant rights groups. Outside the New York Public Library, near Trump Tower, chants in support of immigrants echoed through the streets. Similar demonstrations were held outside the White House in Washington, though turnout there was smaller than during the April 5 protest.
In Texas, even the conservative city of Galveston saw demonstrators. “We can’t wait for the next election,” said 63-year-old author Patsy Oliver. “We’ve already lost too much.” In San Francisco, hundreds formed the word “IMPEACH” in a public square, while smaller rallies were held outside Tesla offices, targeting Elon Musk, a Trump appointee in federal spending cuts programs.
The demonstrations were organized by the activist group “50501,” which aimed to stage 400 decentralized protests across all 50 states in response to what it called “the anti-democratic and unlawful actions of the Trump administration and its plutocratic allies.”
While national participation appeared substantial, exact figures were unclear, as many local police departments did not provide official estimates.
