ORLANDO, Fla. — On Saturday, protests broke out in various counties throughout Central Florida to protest the administration’s actions on government downsizing, the economy, human rights, and more.
More than 1,200 “Hands Off!” demonstrations were planned by more than 150 groups, including civil rights organizations, labor unions, LBGTQ+ advocates, veterans and elections activists.
The local demonstrations have attracted hundreds of people. Roads have been blocked to help maintain the flow of traffic throughout various parts of Central Florida.
Protesters are making their voices heard and joining together to counter the Trump administration’s moves to fire thousands of federal workers, close Social Security Administration field offices, effectively shutter entire agencies, deport immigrants, scale back protections for transgender people and cut federal funding for health programs.
Elon Musk, a Trump adviser who owns Tesla, SpaceX and the social media platform X, has played a key role in government downsizing as the head of the newly created Department of Government Efficiency.
Activists have staged nationwide demonstrations against Trump or Musk multiple times since the new administration took power. Organizers say they hope Saturday’s demonstrations will be the largest since Trump returned to office since the start of his 2025 tenure.
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