Protesters Take Aim at Billionaires with Humorous Signs: ‘Tax the Rich, Not Penguins’

USA APRIL 6,2025 

Crowds gathered in cities in the United States and Europe marched through streets carrying homemade placards and slogans against US President Donald Trump and tech billionaire Elon Musk on Saturday in what organisers hailed as the largest coordinated protest to date since Trump entered his second term following the takeover of power this January.

Dubbed the "Hands Off" rallies, the protests were held in more than 1,200 venues in all 50 US states, with large turnouts in cities such as New York, Los Angeles, Boston, Washington DC and Chicago. The protests were not limited to American earth—protesters took to the streets in London, Paris, and Berlin, many carrying signs in English as a demonstration of solidarity, reports .

'Do not panic, organize'

At London,  a demonstrator brandished a toilet brush with Trump's face. Others carried placards saying "WTAF America?", "Stop hurting people" and "He's an idiot". The protesters chanted phrases like "Hands off Canada", "Hands off Greenland" and "Hands off Ukraine", deriding Trump's polarizing foreign policy moves. The president has before talked about annexing Greenland and Canada and clashed with the president of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy when his administration was involved in managing the war in Ukraine.

'Deport Elon Musk'

Trump's recent announcement of mass import tariffs and increasing unease about domestic issues such as immigration raids and cutbacks in social spending also fuelled the rallies.

In Washington DC, thousands came to listen to speeches from Democratic lawmakers. Florida Congressman Maxwell Frost targeted Elon Musk, who has served as an advisor to Trump and is regarded as a force behind government budget reductions. "When you steal from the people, expect the people to rise up. At the ballot box and in the streets," he stated.

Elon Musk's growing political influence is under examination. Critics are calling it a "billionaire coup" after the candidate he supported lost the Wisconsin Supreme Court election. This loss led to the comment, "You cannot spell hatred without red hat," a reference to the association between the color red, "MAGA" hats, and right-wing politics.

PProtesters in West Palm Beach and Washington D.C. criticized the Trump administration's trade tariffs. They used signs and cartoon penguins, possibly referencing an Australian island impacted by the tariffs, to make their point.

The White House defended President Trump's policies, saying he will always protect Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid for those who qualify. They also accused Democrats of trying to give these benefits to immigrants who are in the country illegally.

Outside government buildings, protesters carried signs with various messages. One in Paris said, "We stand up to bullies," and another said, "Empathy is the path."

'It's not red vs blue, its billionaires vs you'