LANSING – Last Saturday, dozens of demonstrations took place across the state as part of a nationwide “Hands Off” protest campaign against President Trump’s administration policies, with the largest ones taking place in Lansing and Ann Arbor.

Opponents of Trump and his billionaire ally Elon Musk organized more than 1,200 protests across the United States, in opposition to federal downsizing, tariffs and other Trump’s policies.

The protest campaign — expected to continue in upcoming weekends — was coordinated by more than 150 Democratic-aligned groups, including women’s rights organizations, labor unions, LGBTQ+ supporters, veterans and retirees.

In Michigan, demonstrations took place across the state, from Marquette and Sault Ste. Marie in the Upper Peninsula, to Detroit, Dearborn and Grand Rapids in the south.

At Lansing’s Capitol lawn, thousands chanted “Hands off!” while holding signs highlighting various causes — from opposition to the Israeli war on Gaza to defending Social Security and denouncing the dictatorship represented by Trump and Musk. Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist also participated in the rally.

In Ann Arbor, thousands marched down Washtenaw Avenue, cheered on by honking cars in a show of support. Protesters carried signs calling for freedom and expressing solidarity with Canada in the face of Trump’s newly imposed tariffs.

Additional marches and protests were held in Detroit, Ferndale, Dearborn, Wyandotte, Troy, Novi and other cities.

In Washington, D.C., tens of thousands of demonstrators gathered around the Washington Monument in cloudy and rainy weather to protest federal budget cuts and mass layoffs of government employees.

With Trump’s backing, Musk’s team in the Office of Government Efficiency conducted a sweeping audit of the federal government, leading to the elimination of more than 200,000 jobs out of a total of 2.3 million.

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has begun laying off more than 20,000 employees, about 25 percent of its workforce. The Social Security Administration also announced the termination of 7,000 staff and the suspension of phone services to millions of beneficiaries, including the elderly and people with disabilities.