Chicago Sees Largest Anti‑Trump Rally Since Inauguration as “Hands Off!” Protests Sweep Nation
Chicago, IL – April 6, 2025 — An estimated 30,000 people flooded Daley Plaza on Saturday, marking the biggest protest in Chicago since President Donald Trump’s second inauguration. The “Hands Off!” rally, organized by Indivisible Chicago alongside the Chicago Federation of Labor, the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, Equality Illinois, Sierra Club, Personal PAC and over a dozen smaller groups, spilled into the surrounding streets as demonstrators voiced opposition to Trump administration policies and the influence of White House adviser Elon Musk. CBSNews
“I haven’t seen a demonstration this big in Chicago ever,” said protester S. Gronkiewicz‑Doran, who stood shoulder‑to‑shoulder with “oceans of people,” according to fellow marcher Tom Lalonde.
Rallying against mass federal layoffs, proposed cuts to Social Security and Medicare, aggressive deportations, and sweeping “Liberation Day” tariffs, speakers urged attendees to protect jobs, rights, and public institutions.
“I am concerned about people being kidnapped off the streets and shipped to hellhole prisons,” said Maryanne Bowman. “I am concerned about our economy tanking. I am concerned about the fact that we have a president who doesn’t care about people.”
After an hour of speeches, protesters marched roughly a mile through the Loop, chanting “Hands Off!” and brandishing signs denouncing the president’s tariff push—a policy critics say has already spurred a record two‑day $5 trillion market loss. WSJ
Spreading to Suburbs and Beyond
Simultaneous “Hands Off!” rallies drew crowds in every corner of the Chicago area and across Illinois. In Arlington Heights, approximately 2,000 protesters gathered along Northwest Highway; smaller but spirited turnouts were reported in Oak Park, Rockford, Evanston, Elgin, DeKalb, Palatine, Joliet, Lisle, Highland Park, Geneva and Springfield.
“This goes beyond politics. It’s about caring for each other and showing compassion instead of power‑hungriness,” Bowman added, echoing sentiments shared in retirement communities from Edgewater to Evanston where seniors staged their own pickets. CBSNews
A Nationwide Uprising
Chicago’s rally was one node in a network of over 1,300 protests held April 5–6 across all 50 states and dozens of countries. Organizers from MoveOn, ACLU, labor unions and civil‑rights groups estimated more than 3 million participants worldwide, making this the largest coordinated demonstration since Trump resumed office.
In Washington, D.C., Democratic lawmakers decried the administration’s tariffs as “illegal, unconstitutional” and vowed legislative countermeasures. Overseas, protesters in London and Paris condemned what they called an “economic revolution” that risks inflating prices on essential goods and straining international alliances. TheVerge
What’s Next?
With no sign of the White House backing down—Trump doubled down on Truth Social, urging Americans to “hang tough” as markets reel—the “Hands Off!” movement plans follow‑up actions targeting midterm races and corporate backers of the administration’s agenda. Organizers say this weekend’s turnout demonstrates an energized grassroots coalition determined to defend democratic norms, workers’ rights and social safety nets.
