Thousands of people rallied throughout Southern California on Saturday as part of a nationwide “Hands Off!” protests against the Trump administration’s steep cuts in federal programs, mass firings and a slew of tariff hikes that sent financial markets reeling.

Trump’s policies are ripping into the nation’s social safety and health nets and will lead to soaring prices on basic staples like groceries and cars, protest organizers said. Economic experts warned that President Trump’s steep tariffs are a high-stakes gamble that risk throwing the U.S into a recession.

Dozens of protests and marches were held throughout the region and hundreds more across the nation for what’s been dubbed “mass mobilization day.”

In downtown Los Angeles, where over 10,000 people are expected, protesters began gathering long before the demonstration was set to start late Saturday afternoon, filling Pershing Square.

Cynthia Perez and Mario Flores of Whittier stood in the crowd in with their daughters, Sofia 14, and Valentina, 11, who were holding signs reading, “I vote in three years” and “I vote in seven years,” respectively.

“I just need to set an example for my daughters, and just have a place to show that they have a voice, and that they need to speak that voice,” Perez said. “They need to fight for their rights as women and Latinos, and fight for everybody’s rights.”

At the Huntington Beach Pier, where hundreds of demonstrators gathered, Sheila Hanrahan, 77, said she’s been attending protests since her 20s, including supporting women’s rights and voicing opposition to the Vietnam War.

Now, even with more back pain, she said, she felt it was important to attend Saturday’s demonstration.

“I fear we’re losing our democracy,” she said. Hanrahan views the current administration as more dangerous than any previous one on civil rights.

Kevin Smith, another protester at the pier, said he served in the Army for 24 years and is a Korean War veteran and Bronze Star recipient.

“To see how Trump treats veterans is sad to me,” he said. “He disrespects us, he mocks us.”

He cited the Trump administration’s cutting of thousands of employees at the Department of Veteran Affairs, and Trump’s behavior at Arlington National Cemetery in 2024. Trump’s mockery of John McCain, he added, was a “punch in the gut.”

Of the veterans who remain steadfast in their support of Trump, he said, ”They’re not listening.”

In Pasadena, chants of “Hey hey, ho ho, Donald Trump has got to go!” and “Lock him up!” were met with car horns and cheers on the corner of Colorado Boulevard and Garfield Avenue.

Veteran Hector Alvarado, 71, drove to Pasadena from Flagstaff, Arizona to protest Trump’s cuts to veterans’ services. If enough people stand up to the administration, he believes, Trump will take notice.

Bruce Arnold of Pasadena held up a homemade sign that read, “Hey Elon. Three Reichs and You’re Out!” The sign was a reference to what many have interpreted to be a Nazi salute by Musk at a Trump inauguration rally in January.

Arnold, a 74-year-old, retired businessman, said he’s made all the calls and written all the letters he could to fight Trump’s policies.

“I can’t do anything else,” Arnold said. “As a Democrat, these last defeats have stung. The behavior of this man, the way he treats people, is just wrong.”

Steve and Natasha Prime of South Pasadena pulled two old T-shirts from their closet. Hers read, “Nasty Woman.” That was what Trump called Hillary Clinton, his presidential race opponent in 2016. 

Steve Prime, 63, said the protest was refreshing because it let him be with other people “who are fed up with the despicable chaos coming out. What else can we do right now? How does Trump get away with this over and over?”

Spme 1,200 Inland Empire residents lined Haven Avenue in Rancho Cucamonga carrying signs and demanding that Trump and billionaire advisor Elon Musk keep their “hands off” the programs they’re slashing.

A man in a plaid shirt crossed back and forth on the corner of Haven and Civic Center Drive waving an upside-down flag.

“An upside-down flag means we are in a state of distress,” said Frank Ramme, a 72-year-old resident of Ontario. “And we certainly are. We want our democracy back.”

Drivers in passing cars honked and gave the protesters a thumbs up. A few counterprotesters also drove by, with Trump flags waving in the back of their trucks.

“We’re barely two months into Trump’s chaos and the country is reeling from his reckless firing of millions of workers, the breaking up of tens of thousands of families, and plans to gut funding to our health care and Social Security,” organizer Emily Williams said in an interview this week.

Protesters from across the South Bay gathered in front of Torrance City Hall, where police estimated the crowd at over 10,000 people. Some of their signs read, “Good Trouble,” and “Not going back.”

Torrance resident Susan Yonamine said she’s worried not only about cuts to Social Security but also concerned about her grandchild losing school lunches, another target of the sweeping federal cuts.

Carly Sanchez, 36, a lawyer in Torrance, said she and her husband became foster parents to undocumented minors during the first Trump administration.

Sanchez wanted to help undocumented children at the border who were shown being in cages, she said.

“It feels like they’re going to be put right back in,” she added, holding back tears.

But she was encouraged by the sight of thousands of protesters along Torrance Boulevard.

“It’s very scary to be sitting in your house alone, hearing about everything that’s happening and it’s nice to realize you’re not the only person concerned,” she said, adding, “I hope that today we can send a message that we will not be ignored — and we’re mad as hell.”

Los Angeles County Republican Party Chairman Roxanne Hoge said the demonstrations will not affect the Trump administration.

“Radical leftists are protesting President Donald Trump with marches and a parade balloon?” she said. “Their boring, predictable tantrums are now part of the L.A. landscape, much like the dilapidated RVs and dangerous encampments that their policies result in. We are interested in good governance and public safety, and wish our Democrat friends would join us in advocating for both.”

There were few confrontations on Saturday. In Huntington Beach, around a dozen people gathered on the outskirts of the protest wearing pro-Trump apparel and voicing their support for the president. One weaved through the crowd shouting, “Trump 2028.” And one protester had his sign ripped out of his hand, prompting others to jump in between the two men.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

The Associated Press and City News Service contributed to this report.

‘Hands Off’ anti-Trump protests planned across Southern California on April 5