Several thousand protesters in Portland rally for ‘Hands Off’ day of action against Trump and Musk policies

Several thousand people took to the streets of Portland on Saturday afternoon as part of a nationwide movement to protest what organizers are calling an “illegal, billionaire power grab” by President Donald Trump and Elon Musk.

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There were several demonstrations in Portland Saturday. But the largest, at Tom McCall Waterfront Park, began at noon and quickly grew to several thousand people, according to the Portland Police Bureau.

The event exceeded the park’s capacity and police shut down nearby Naito Parkway to vehicular traffic just before 12:30 p.m. Police later had to close the Interstate 5 off-ramp to the Morrison Bridge as protesters crossed the bridge.

Organizers of the nationwide “Hands Off” protests Saturday said participants are calling “on Trump and Elon Musk to take their hands off the programs that the middle class and working families rely on.”

Demonstrations began in the Portland metro area Saturday morning and continued throughout the day across the state, with actions scheduled from Gold Beach to Astoria, to Hood River, Enterprise, Redmond and Klamath Falls.

In Tigard on Saturday morning, several hundred people marched on both sides of Highway 99. Some protesters told OPB they were concerned about the impact tariffs will have on their life savings. Others feared for the future of Social Security and spoke out against recent deportations.

In Southeast Portland, about 500 people turned out at Westmoreland Park for a rally in the morning. Speakers included Portland City Councilor Olivia Clark and Oregon state Rep. Mark Gamba.

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Gamba said he worried Trump’s policies are designed to destroy the current American system and empower billionaires, either to create a fascist or an oligarchic state.

“This is not something that just happened. This is something they’ve been preparing for a long time,” Gamba said. “They’ve just been checking the boxes. And we are in for the fight of our lives, for sure.”

National “Hands Off” organizers were estimating that more than 1,000 events would take place in all 50 states and Washington D.C.. Organizers said they hoped they could turn out hundreds of thousands of people.

The rallies are organized, in part, by the 50501 Movement, which held similar nationwide events on Feb. 5 and Feb. 17.

Elon Musk is leading the Department of Government Efficiency, which has attempted to make significant cuts to the federal government. While many of those job cuts and government program reductions have been challenged in court, they’ve drawn notable ire and a growing protest movement from some Americans.

Related: Nationwide ‘Hands Off’ protests denounce Trump and Musk’s government downsizing

Protests against DOGE and Musk, the CEO of Tesla, have also been taking place at Tesla dealerships across the country.

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.”

Many media organizations noted a lack of protests shortly after President Trump was elected, contrasting the lack of civil actions with swift uprisings that took place in late 2016 and early 2017 during Trump’s first term.

Demonstrations that have taken place have not widely been marred by property destruction that was associated with protests in Oregon and elsewhere during that first term.

This story will be updated. OPB reporters are covering protests in Bend, Pendleton, Portland and Tigard on Saturday. Associated Press contributed to this report.