Protesters in NYC target Trump and Musk in 'Hands Off!' rally; over 1,000 protests nationwide
MIDTOWN, Manhattan (WABC) -- Crowds of protesters converged on Bryant Park and elsewhere in New York City on Saturday to call out President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk's actions on government downsizing, the economy, immigration and human rights.
"It makes me feel that I'm trying to accomplish something. I don't know if anything is going to happen out of it, but we just cannot stay home and protest about the situation," said Marcela Schaub, one of the protesters who braved the rain on Saturday in Bryant Park.
The demonstration near Bryant Park was just one of many "Hands Off!" protests taking place not only throughout New York City but also across all 50 U.S. states, according to organizers. More than 150 groups planned more than 1,200 "Hands Off!" demonstrations.
ALSO READ: 'Hands Off!' protests against Trump and Musk underway across the US
"We're just concerned about our rights that have been taken away," said Sylvia Schwartz, another protester at Bryant Park. "They're being taken away, they're dismantling everything. This is not about efficiency, this is about control and power and the destruction of the United States."
Protesters showed up to stand up against some of the Trump's administration's latest moves, including the implementation of tariffs, immigration operations and reducing the size of some federal agencies, while eliminating others all together.
Eileen Chen is a federal worker with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. A federal judge recently blocked the Trump administration's attempt to dismantle the government agency.
"They tried to shut down our entire agency. And I, many, many, many of my coworkers were fired. But because we've all come together through our really strong union, we were actually able to get every single person reinstated," Chen said.
Others say they're concerned about billionaire Elon Musk, who has pushed policies to reduced federal spending in his role as the head of the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency.
The administration has said DOGE's purpose is to rid the federal government of waste, fraud and abuse. Meanwhile, Musk has spoken about his role in trying to dismantle the USAID, which offers humanitarian aid to countries.
"This is no longer a democracy. This is a total abuse of our freedom. That's number one. I could go on for a long time, but cutting U.S. aid, for me, it has to be the most disgusting things that this government has done," Schaub said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
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