Thousands of demonstrators rallied at hundreds of events across the United States on Saturday, protesting President Donald Trump's hard-line policies.

They denounced Trump's aggressive immigration policies, budget cuts, pressuring of universities, news media and law firms, and his handling of the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza.

Saturday's demonstrations came two weeks after the "Hands Off rallies, though the turnout appeared smaller. 

Since returning to office, both Trump and billionaire Elon Musk have overseen sweeping government spending cuts, laid off over 200,000 federal employees, and moved to dismantle key federal agencies such as USAID and the Department of Education.

 

Concern on a wide range of issues

The group 50501, a number representing 50 protests in 50 states and one movement, organized the rallies, calling it "a decentralized rapid response to the anti-democratic and illegal actions of the Trump administration and its plutocratic allies." 

"This is a very perilous time in America for liberty. I wanted the boys to learn about the origins of this country and that sometimes we have to fight for freedom," Thomas Bassford, 80, who was at the protests in Maine with his partner, daughter and two grandsons, told the Associated Press news agency.

Protesters voiced support for migrants targeted by Trump's deportation policies, showing solidarity with federal employees who lost their jobs and universities threatened by funding cuts.

New Yorkers marched with slogans like "No Kings in America" and "Resist Tyranny."

In the capital, Washington, people expressed concern that Trump was threatening democracy and the ideals held by the country.

Some of them marched with keffiyeh scarves, chanting "Free Palestine." A few carried the Ukrainian flag to show solidarity with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. 

In the city of San Francisco on the US west coast, demonstrators marched with the words "IMPEACH + REMOVE." Some carried an upside down US flag, which is typically a sign of distress.

Edited by: Louis Oelofse