Mass protests were scheduled across Riverside County Saturday against the Trump administration’s spending cuts, mass layoffs and other policies.
The Indivisible movement and Courageous Resistance of the Desert were hosting “Hands Off!” protests Saturday in Riverside, Temecula, Murrieta, Palm Springs and San Jacinto.
The locations and times are as follows:
— Palm Springs City Hall, 3200 E. Tahquitz Canyon Way in Palm Springs from 10 a.m.;
— Market Street at University Avenue in Riverside from 6:30 p.m. until 8 p.m.;
— 40735 Murrieta Hot Springs Road in Murrieta from noon until 2 p.m.;
— Eagle Drive at West Community College Drive, across from Carl Quandt Stadium, in San Jacinto from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m.;
— 28250 Rancho California Road, Temecula Duck Pond, from noon until 3 p.m.
More than 1,000 people reportedly gathered in front of Palm Springs City Hall, but no official count was made. No roads were reported closed or affected by the protest. Protesters in Palm Springs were seen holding signs with phrases such as “Fire Trump,” “Save our democracy. Stop fascism now” and “Stop DOGE,” but the protest seemed to continue peacefully as of midday.
Similar demonstrations were being held across Southern California and nationwide, featuring numerous organizations including the League of Women Voters, Planned Parenthood Action Fund and the ACLU, according to the HandsOff! website.
“Over a half a million Americans are taking to the streets at more than 1,200 nationwide events,” according to Indivisible social media.
“Donald Trump and Elon Musk think this country belongs to them. We’re taking to the streets nationwide to fight back with a clear message: `Hands Off!’,” according to the Indivisible of the Desert website.
President Donald Trump has yet to personally comment on what organizers are calling a “mass mobilization day,” but the White House rescheduled one of its annual spring garden tour dates Saturday due to the large anti-Trump demonstration expected to take place near 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
“Anyone who thinks protests, lawsuits, and lawfare will deter President Trump must have been sleeping under a rock for the past several years,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement to USA Saturday. “President Trump will not be deterred from delivering on the promises he made to make our federal government more efficient and more accountable to the hardworking American taxpayers across the country who overwhelmingly re-elected him.”