On April 5, 2025, over 1,400 cities and towns around the United States, as well as many locations around the globe, witnessed the first real mass street protests against the second installation of the Trump regime. Conservative estimates in the U.S. place the number of participants in the April 5 “Hands Off” protests well above 3 million. Prior to that large day of protests, over 253 cities participated in the March 29, 2025, “Tesla Takedown,” exercising Constitutional rights to dissent and highlighting the devastating effects an un-elected oligarch has had on federal employees and institutions in the United States—including fundamental tenets of U.S. democracy. Musk’s arrogant and misguided chainsaw approach to reducing the federal deficit has resulted in a mass reduction of services in sectors ranging from National Parks to medical research on Alzheimer’s disease, to the welfare of Veterans. Musk is only legally allowed to remain in his “special governmental role” for 130 days, and as such, he is supposed to be long gone before the profound negative fallout of his scorched earth approach is fully understood.

Such a strong turnout on the streets over the last 2 weeks surely is a positive bellwether that the population of the U.S. has begun to shake off the stunned horror that 49.8% of the votes cast for president were for Trump. Despite the self-serving rhetoric coming out of the MAGA regime, there is NO incredible mandate for Trump to destroy the economy and wreck the Department of Ed, or ignore climate change and the environment to satisfy his juvenile, revenge-driven, strongman whims. Mass movements of resistance often require public protests to prime the pump before other creative and disparate forms of resistance take hold.

We at CLDC found it very encouraging to see the people activated and moving in the streets; now it’s time to double down. This moment in time requires that the engaged citizenry and best thinkers and strategists of our time to take their place at the table and begin to formulate coherent plans of action that will have real effects on moving us toward an articulate set of goals that offer a sane alternative to the Trump administration’s policies.

Civil Liberties Defense Center is proud to provide a plethora of tools, resources and legal support to the groups and individuals taking risks and mobilizing the masses for this moment/movement. We have more free webinars and trainings available online than we can list here, and we continue to provide legal oversight for member organizations that need our expertise. CLDC is honored to stand with those willing to risk a little or a lot to bring an end to the racist, despotic, climate-catastrophic policies designed to remake the world in the image of a mad king. Thanks for having our back, we continue to have yours!