Mass protests against Trump administration erupt in U.S., Europe

Hundreds of thousands of protesters gathered in dozens of cities across the United States and Europe on Saturday to protest the controversial policies of U.S. President Donald Trump's administration, including the imposition of so-called "reciprocal tariffs," the shutdown of federal agencies and the deportation of immigrants.

In the United States, around 600,000 people joined over 1,400 protests across all 50 states under the theme of "Hands Off," according to the organizers.

Organized by a coalition of more than 150 groups – including civil rights organizations, labor unions and veterans' associations – demonstrators gathered at state capitols, federal buildings, congressional offices, Social Security Administration headquarters, city halls and public parks.

"This peaceful movement is powered by everyday people – nurses, teachers, students, parents – who are rising up to protect what matters most. We are united, we are relentless, and we are just getting started," said Rahna Epting, executive director of the activist group MoveOn.

"We're here fighting for the soul of America," Angela C, a protester in Los Angeles, told Xinhua. "Do we remain the guiding light for progress, compassion, and fairness in the world as founding fathers dreamt of? Or follow Trump to become another pathetic bully with a big stick out to exploit all the other countries in the world?"

Some elected officials joined the campaign as well. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu said she doesn't want her children and others to live in a world where threats and intimidation are the means of government and values such as diversity and peace are under attack.

In response to the protests, the White House said in a statement that "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," according to USA Today.

Protests were also held in European cities such as Berlin, Frankfurt, Paris, London and Lisbon. In Berlin, hundreds of people gathered outside a Tesla showroom to protest against Tesla's owner, Elon Musk – a close Trump ally. In London, protesters rallied at Trafalgar Square, holding signs reading "Proud American Ashamed" and chanting "Hands off Canada" and "Hands off Greenland."

The marches in Europe came just days after Trump imposed a 20 percent "reciprocal" tariff on EU imports, and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio attended his first NATO foreign ministers' meeting in Brussels earlier this week – widely viewed as an effort to manage tensions between the two sides of the Atlantic ahead of the NATO leaders' June summit.

According to a White House statement, the universal tariffs imposed by the United States – a 10-percent "minimum baseline tariff" to be imposed on all imports – will take effect on April 5, and the "individualized reciprocal higher tariff" on the countries and regions with which the United States "has the largest trade deficits" will take effect on April 9. The move immediately sparked backlash from across the world.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday expressed deep regret over the U.S. move in a statement, calling it "a major blow to the world economy," warning against a devastating impact. "The global economy will massively suffer," she said. "Uncertainty will spiral and trigger the rise of further protectionism. The consequences will be dire for millions of people around the globe."

On social media platform X, Czech Minister of Industry and Trade Lukas Vlcek called Trump's new tariffs a "mistake." Also, Manfred Weber, the leader of the European People's Party and a member of the European Parliament, labeled April 2 – the new tariff announcement day dubbed by Trump as "liberation day" for the United States – as "resentment day."

"Donald Trump's tariffs don't defend fair trade. They attack it out of fear and hurt both sides of the Atlantic," he said.

Speaking to local media on Thursday morning, British Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said he is "disappointed" by the additional tariffs imposed on Britain, noting the 10-percent tariff is not a "fair reflection of how we currently trade."

In Asia, Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi on Thursday expressed "serious concern" about the U.S. decision to impose reciprocal tariffs, saying the new tariffs could have a "big negative impact" on the global economy and the multilateral trade system.

South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, who is serving as acting president following the impeachment of President Yoon Suk-yeol, told an emergency meeting on economic security in Seoul, "As the global tariff war is coming to a reality, the government should pour out all of its capabilities to overcome a trade crisis."

In China, officials called the tariffs "a tool of extreme pressure for selfish gain." Under the guise of pursuing "reciprocity" and "fairness," the United States is engaging in zero-sum games and, in essence, seeking "America First" and "American exceptionalism," according to a statement released by the Chinese government.

(With input from Xinhua)