In what was billed as a “national day of action,” more than 1,300 “Hands Off!” protests took place in all 50 states as well as in other parts of the world on Saturday, April 5, with Washington, DC, serving as the flagship demonstration. Organizers expected some 20,000 participants in DC, gathered at the Sylvan Theater, at the base of the Washington Monument, to hear from speakers who included Representatives Jamie Raskin, Maxwell Frost, and Eric Swalwell, along with union leaders, protest organizers, and others. According to the Washington Post, organizers suspected that the crowd may have been five times that, and the White House had to postpone the White House garden tour due to the size of the Hands Off! protest.
No matter the size, the crowd on the National Mall—fired up and engaged—came with protest signs. A lot of signs. The signs railed against kings and fascists, stood up for science and Social Security, and warned against the erosion of democracy. Here are photos from today’s rally in DC.
Photo courtesy Washingtonian staff.
Photo courtesy Washingtonian staff.
Photo courtesy Washingtonian staff.
Photo courtesy Washingtonian staff.
Photo courtesy Washingtonian staff.
Photo courtesy Washingtonian staff.
Photo courtesy of George Conway.
Photo courtesy of George Conway.
Photo courtesy Washingtonian staff.
Photo courtesy Washingtonian staff.
Photo courtesy Washingtonian staff.
Photo courtesy Washingtonian staff.
Photo courtesy Washingtonian staff.
Photo courtesy Washingtonian staff.
Photo courtesy Washingtonian staff.
Photo courtesy of George Conway.
Photo courtesy Washingtonian staff.
