The West’s “No” to Trump’s Aggressive Approach; What Do Protesters Say on Both Sides of the Atlantic?
The controversial and shocking policies of the Trump administration have brought different segments of the American and even European society, who have been affected by the political, economic, social, and legal changes of his decisions, to the streets to express their opposition. This public sentiment against Trump was reflected in the streets of the United States and many European countries earlier this week.
On Saturday, hundreds of thousands of Americans took to the streets in more than 1,000 cities in the country and the towns in five European countries, shouting and chanting various slogans against the Trump administration. According to CNN, more than 1,400 demonstrations were held in front of state congressional buildings, government buildings, representative offices, municipal buildings, and parks on this day with the slogan “Hands Off”; slogans that specifically targeted Trump and Elon Musk, the head of his government’s Department of Productivity.
What are the issues that protesters are protesting in the United States?
During these demonstrations, which saw hundreds of thousands of Americans take to the streets in 50 states, 1,000 cities, and 1,200 locations, their demands and demands were clear from their slogans and placards; “No to Trump the Fascist,” “King of All Losers,” “Same Trash with a Different Hat,” “Presidents Are Not Kings,” “Tariffs Are All Misery,” “The Only Minority That Is Destroying This Country Are Billionaires,” and “Ministry of Greed and Evil” were among the slogans and photo captions used by the American people in protest against Trump.
In these rallies, people expressed their anger at Trump and Musk’s policies, including the firing of thousands of federal employees by downsizing the government, the closure of Social Security regional offices, the closure of many organizations, the deportation of immigrants, the tariff war, Trump’s increased authority, and the reduction of funding for health programs.
Since taking office, Trump’s administration has boasted about cutting federal spending, even at the expense of the most vulnerable. Thousands of federal employees have been laid off or given notice of immediate termination.
Elon Musk, at the helm of the so-called Department of Government Productivity, has aggressively pursued budget cuts and has repeatedly released data on federal spending. He has even admitted to destroying the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Foreign aid programs to fledgling democracies have been cut, and employees responsible for overseeing U.S. elections have been furloughed.
Social Security, which provides benefits to about 73 million people each month, is in deep crisis. The crisis has followed a massive restructuring and the layoffs of thousands of employees.