Thousands gather across the US and Europe to decry actions of the Trump administration.

Opponents of US President Donald Trump and his adviser, billionaire Elon Musk, have joined rallies across the United States to protest against the administration’s actions to overhaul the government and expand presidential authority.

More than 1,200 “Hands Off” rallies were expected on Saturday, with organisers anticipating the largest single-day mobilisation opposing the administration’s recent initiatives. Protest sites included the National Mall in Washington, DC, where organisers expected more than 20,000 people to attend, and locations in all 50 US states.

Reporting from Washington, DC, Al Jazeera’s Mike Hanna said the crowd voiced their discontent over the administration’s sweeping executive actions and the restructuring led by Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

The reforms have resulted in the elimination of more than 200,000 federal positions and significant reductions in benefits, particularly within the Internal Revenue Service and Social Security Administration.

“This is one of the biggest demonstrations we’ve seen since Trump began his second term, and it’s perhaps indicative of the rising frustration among Americans,” said Hanna, who also noted the diverse composition of the protesters, spanning various age groups.

“Protest organisers have been saying this is not going to lead to immediate change, but it’s an important moment to show that many Americans oppose what Donald Trump stands for,” said Hanna.

In Chicago, thousands of demonstrators rallied in the downtown area. Reporting from the protest site, Al Jazeera’s John Hendren said it was “largely a union crowd”.

“These people are concerned about their jobs … These people are mostly citizens, they are Chicagoans and their message to the Trump administration and Elon Musk is ‘hands off'”, he said.

Organisers estimated more than 250,000 people participated nationwide, though an official count was unclear.

In New York, demonstrators gathered in Bryant Park, holding signs reading “Unplug Elon” and “I can only write this because there used to be a Department of Education.”

Kelley Robinson, president of the Human Rights Campaign, addressed a rally in Washington, criticising the government’s treatment of marginalised communities. “The attacks that we’re seeing, they’re not just political. They are personal, y’all,” she said, reported AFP.

Similar protests erupted in Atlanta, Boston, Miami, and Charlotte, with crowds demanding action on immigration, healthcare and workers’ rights.