Thousands rally across PA as part of nationwide protest against Trump's agenda

Protests and chants may have been heard in cities and towns across the country on Saturday, but only in Philadelphia, with the National Constitution Center as a backdrop, does a “Go Birds” chant get mixed in with cries of “USA” and “This is what democracy looks like.”

Thousands of protesters poured into Center City Saturday afternoon to rally against President Donald Trump and his policies upending the economy, civil rights and other key benchmarks of American life. 

Critics of Trump and Elon Musk, the billionaire who funded so much of his campaign prior to indiscriminately dismantling federal agencies, turned out in force to oppose the president’s first months in office and his plans for the rest of his lame-duck term.

“You are giving the American people hope in a very difficult time,” U.S. Rep. Brendan Boyle said after the march, stating that the widespread federal funding cuts have gutted government agencies. “I hope he hears these words: Mr. President, Philly is undefeated against asshole kings.”

Part of a series of nationwide protests, Philadelphia’s “Hands Off” anti-Trump gathering started at City Hall before making its way to Independence Mall, where elected officials – including U.S. Rep. Madeleine Dean, state Sen. Vincent Hughes, state Reps. Chris Rabb, Joe Hohenstein and Rick Krajewski, and City Councilmembers Rie Landau and Jamie Gauthier – and advocacy leaders spoke out against the White House’s policies and priorities. 

“I’m pissed off…An attack on one of us is an attack on all of us,” Landau said. “President Trump and his lapdogs of Elon Musk and J.D. Vance are doing everything they can to turn America into a playground for the wealthy where government can do whatever it wants, whenever it wants. That is sick, that is outrageous – and that is illegal.”

The protests took place across the country Saturday, with about 50 events planned in Pennsylvania and more than 1,100 rallies scheduled across all 50 states. 

“Whether you’re outraged by skyrocketing healthcare costs, job cuts, attacks on privacy, or the gutting of essential services – this moment is for you. Whether you've been in the fight for years or you're just fed up and ready to take action – this moment is for you,” the event description reads. “On April 5, national and local organizations are coming together across the country to organize for Hands Off!, a national mass activation in defiance of the Trump-Musk billionaire takeover and the Republican assault on our freedoms and our communities.”

Several progressive and grassroots groups, including Indivisible, MoveOn and the 50501 Movement, organized the event, along with more than 150 groups, including civil rights organizations, labor unions, LBGTQ+ advocates, veterans and fair-elections activists expected to take part. 

The broad coalition of protesters included longtime activists, newly minted protesters, and “concerned Americans” who didn’t affiliate with a political party. 

Alana Fadigan, who said she spent time as a Green Party organizer but doesn’t affiliate with a party, said she’s “pissed off that some of these people call themselves patriots.” 

She said constitutional rights aren’t a “red or blue” issue and that people should stand up to the government and public services being “brutalized.”

Harold Brown, who described himself as a “concerned American,” said neither party has spoken to the people well enough. 

Nearby, two women holding American flags and no other signs said they’re “proud Democrats” hopeful for a leadership change within the party. 

Although they didn’t disclose their names, the women said they don’t question the Democratic Party's long-term outlook. 

“New leadership will come and step up,” one said. 

After the march, Dean said legislators and judges must “do their job” to uphold the constitution. 

“It’s Congress, courts – and the courage of citizens” that’s needed, Dean said. “We will do this together.”

Vicki Miller, a leader of grassroots activist group Indivisible Philadelphia, the primary organizer of Saturday’s rally, said they expected more than 6,000 people to turn out for the Philadelphia event.

The demonstration, which went down Market Street from City Hall to Independence Mall, featured a wide variety of concerns and complaints and a newfound sense of urgency among rally-goers. 

From cuts to healthcare and education funding to privatizing the postal service and other government agencies, protesters repeatedly said they want the federal administration to keep its “hands off” public services and vulnerable communities. 

A woman who gave her name as Jordin told City & State the “lack of care for the norms” has only increased the fear and anger surrounding the administration. 

“We’re learning the intricacies of how government works now,” she said, stating that many Americans don’t have the same civic knowledge as previous generations. “The status quo can’t hold.”

A crowd estimated at more than 1,000 people protested against the president on the steps of the State Capitol on Saturday. Photo by Justin Sweitzer

In Harrisburg, roughly a thousand rallygoers packed the stairs outside of the state Capitol for a “Hands Off” rally that featured speeches from local officials and community leaders, including Dauphin County Commissioner Justin Douglas, SEIU 668 President Steve Catanese and Kimeka Campbell, the senior director of campaigns and engagement at the New Pennsylvania Project. 

Catanese said Americans were gathering together across the country on Saturday “to tell Donald Trump, Elon Musk and Scott Perry and their billionaire donors and collaborators: Hands off our data, hands off immigrants, hands off workers' rights, hands off our democracy, hands off our health care.

“Today is the fight for a better tomorrow,” Catanese added.

Those who attended Saturday’s Harrisburg rally had a long list of grievances, including Trump’s implementation of tariffs, his approach to immigration enforcement, and his close relationship with Musk. Musk has spearheaded efforts to slash spending and drastically remake the federal government as one of the chief backers of Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency. 

Chants of “Fight back!” “Hands off!” and “Lock him up!” – referring to Trump – were commonplace throughout the day. 

Other speakers at the Harrisburg rally, like Campbell, stressed the importance of voting and voting rights – as did Douglas, who flipped a seat on the Dauphin County Board of Commissioners in 2023. Douglas urged rally attendees to stay engaged throughout Trump’s second term. 

“Stay in the fight,” he said.

Rallies also took place Saturday in Pittsburgh, Lancaster, York and other Pennsylvania cities