Thousands of Minnesotans rally against Trump in nationwide ‘Hands Off!’ protest

From parents to retirees to educators, thousands of Minnesotans rallied in more than a dozen cities across the state as part of the biggest nationwide day of demonstrations against President Donald Trump since the start of his second term.

Chants of “Hands off!” echoed from the State Capitol steps, bouncing from the building’s halls to the St. Paul Cathedral. A Minnesota State Patrol spokesperson estimated about 25,000 people crowded the area, and some attendees heading there said they were sardined into metro trains packed beyond capacity.

Protesters waved upside-down American flags and signs showing support for Ukraine and the Palestinian people. Some held papier mâché effigies of Trump and adviser Elon Musk, while others dressed as Wonder Woman and the Statue of Liberty.

“When they’re taking away the jobs of our veterans, the rights of our veterans, I’m here to speak up for my father, for my cousins, that that ain’t right,” state Rep. María Isa Pérez-Vega, DFL-St. Paul, said at the rally. “It’s because of our immigrant community, especially those immigrants who became veterans to fight for our country ... [that] we’re going to stand proud to support our immigrant rights.”

Children nearby chalked the sidewalk, playing hopscotch and writing “help people, don’t hurt people.” Minneapolis’ Brass Solidarity and Unlawful Assembly bands beat drums and blared horns to the beat of the O’Jays’ “Love Train” as attendees clapped in unison.

From the National Mall in Washington, D.C., and Midtown Manhattan to Boston Common and multiple state capitals, protesters assailed Trump and Musk’s actions on government downsizing, the economy, immigration and human rights. The rallies appeared peaceful, with no immediate reports of arrests.

Asked about the protests, the White House said in a statement that “President Trump’s position is clear: he will always protect Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid for eligible beneficiaries. Meanwhile, the Democrats’ stance is giving Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare benefits to illegal aliens, which will bankrupt these programs and crush American seniors.”

In Duluth, a fired-up crowd of about 2,000 poured into the Civic Center plaza downtown on a 30-degree morning, with signs ranging from “No kings” to “Impeach Trump.”

Rally organizer Lee Stewart said Trump and Musk, aided by Eighth Congressional District Rep. Pete Stauber, “have put a wrecking ball through our democracy and our government. I want to remind you what Frederick Douglass said that ‘Power concedes nothing without a demand.’ It never did and never will. And today is the day we start making our demands.”

Stewart ran through a list of what she said was under attack, including the Constitution, Medicaid, voting rights, the Environmental Protection Agency, immigrants, federal workers, veterans, scientific research, education and Social Security.

Diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility are also under attack, said Duluth musician and disability rights advocate Gaelynn Lea.

“At its core, it’s a way to make our government and workplaces and our society more welcoming. That’s all it is,” she said. “Cutting DEIA has real damaging consequences for all minorities and women, so I guess the majority of Americans, right?”

Trump and his administration have done America a favor in some ways, said Dr. Mary Owen, associate dean of Native American Health at the Duluth campus of the University of Minnesota Medical School.

“He’s gotten more of us off the sidelines to address what’s been happening in this country for a long time,” she said, referring to stagnant wages, education funding cuts, homelessness and a flawed health care system. “This is a long game. … The Anishinaabe and other native people recognize seven generations. We’re fighting for those seven generations to come, for our planet to come.”

In Bemidji, hundreds lined a downtown avenue along the shore of Lake Bemidji with statues of Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox in the backdrop of a sea of anti-Trump signage, with each letter of “Fire Trump Not Us” held by a protester.

The rallies were organized by 50501: Minnesota, Indivisible and Women’s March Minnesota.

Activists have staged nationwide demonstrations against Trump or Musk multiple times since Trump returned to office. During Trump’s first term, the Women’s March in 2017 brought a half a million women to Washington, D.C., and in 2020, Black Lives Matter demonstrations erupted in multiple cities after George Floyd’s killing.

In Rochester, social worker Deanna Scherr was among about a thousand people who gathered Saturday afternoon in Peace Plaza to protest the first 75 days of Trump’s second term. Scherr said she has not been active in politics for decades but felt compelled to turn out to stand up to what she described as a shift toward a more autocratic government.

“People need to realize that the extremes are not that much different than other countries that we are always afraid of — and that this is exactly the direction that we’re going in, where our democracy is no longer a democracy,” Scherr said. “And I think we need to stand up. This isn’t a TV reality show. This is real life, and these are real people.”

In the shadow of Mayo Clinic, potential impacts to health care were top of mind for many in the crowd, including retirees Andy and Krista Wood. They worry the administration’s cuts to medical research and vaccine skepticism risk setting the country back when it comes to protecting people’s health.

“They just keep going and going and going, and there has to be a point where even people who would not be politically inclined come out and say, enough is enough,” Krista Wood said.

Sister Ramona Miller of the Sisters of St. Francis said she hopes Saturday’s rally sends a message to the government that it needs to start listening to people at the grassroots level. Miller was joined by more than a dozen other nuns calling for a more compassionate approach to refugees, the disabled and other marginalized groups.

“This is touching our hearts at a deep level,” Miller said. “We have to keep on uniting together and build more of a local community to make sure that our voices are heard together. This is a movement that needs to grow.”

Responding to the protests, Minnesota GOP Chair Alex Plechash said the rallies were organized by some of the most radical progressive groups in the state.

“This event highlights what Minnesotans are coming to see more clearly every day: today’s Democratic Party is rudderless — out of ideas and out of touch," Plechash said in a statement. “Rather than offering real solutions, they double down on the same tired rhetoric and failed policies that President Trump ran against — and defeated — in a sweeping national victory.”

For Minneapolis resident Mitchell McMillen, 65, who retired from a career in marketing, Saturday’s protest means more than sending a message. McMillen said many who voted for Trump are rethinking their decision, with one friend asking him how to take part in Saturday’s events. McMillen said the rally could represent a turning point in history.

“I look at him [my 18-month-old grandson] every single time and I go, ‘Oh my god, what’s his future going to be?’ ” McMillen said, adding that his grandson’s future motivated him to rally.

“It’s coming up to that tipping point ... some change is going to happen.”

Kim Hyatt of the Minnesota Star Tribune contributed to this story. This story contains material from the Associated Press.