The online map was impressive. Red dots everywhere, in all 50 states, showed the civic contagion, with a particular concentration on both coasts. On Saturday, April 5, nearly 1,200 gatherings took place during this day of action against the Trump administration, called for by individual rights defense groups, unions, LGBTQ+ groups and organizations such as Indivisible and MoveOn.

It was impossible to estimate the exact number of people in the streets, beyond the striking footage from major cities like Atlanta, Chicago, Boston, New York and Washington DC. But the message was clear: half of America, disillusioned by Donald Trump's victory in November and horrified by his swift actions since January 20, wanted to remind the White House, Congress and the media that they still existed. Meanwhile, according to an official statement, Trump won his second-round match in a senior golf tournament in Florida. Neither this widespread anger nor the risk of recession after the market plummet affected his agenda.

The most striking aspect was the diversity of slogans, demands and cries of anger, all captured by the day's unifying message: "Hands off!" Protesters were there to defend democracy, the environment, veterans, minority rights, rangers in national parks, Ukraine, the rule of law and judges, healthcare, immigrants arrested and deported without due process, public schools, libraries and museums... The list is not exhaustive. It underscored the breadth and brutality of the Trump administration's actions. One protester's sign in the capital read, "My outrage doesn't fit on this sign!" – an excellent summary of the day's sentiment.

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