Tens of thousands of demonstrators packed the streets of major U.S. cities on Saturday, protesting President Donald Trump’s polarizing policies in the biggest wave of dissent since his return to the White House. Critics of the Republican president’s agenda — including government staff reductions, trade tariffs, and threats to civil liberties — held rallies in Washington, New York, Houston, Florida, Colorado, Los Angeles, and other cities across the country. “I am so angry, I’m so mad, all the time, yes. A bunch of privileged, white alleged rapists are controlling our country. It’s not great,” said New York painter Shaina Kesner, 43, joining a crowd marching through the heart of Manhattan. In Washington, thousands of demonstrators — many traveling from across the United States — gathered on the National Mall where dozens of speakers rallied opposition to Trump. “We have about 100 people who have come down by bus and van from New Hampshire to protest against this outrageous administration (that) is causing us to lose our allies across the world, and causing devastation to people here at home,” said Diane Kolifrath, 64, a bike tour guide. “They’re gutting our government.” In Los Angeles, a woman dressed as a character from dystopian novel “The Handmaid’s Tale” waved a large flag with the message: “Get out of my uterus,” a reference to Trump’s anti-abortion policies. In Denver, Colorado, one man in a large crowd of protesters held up a placard reading “No king for USA.” The rallies even extended to some European capitals, where demonstrators voiced opposition to Trump and his aggressive trade policies. “What’s happening in America is everyone’s problem,” Liz Chamberlin, a dual US-British citizen told AFP at a London rally. “It’s economic lunacy… He is going to push us into a global recession.” And in Berlin, 70-year-old retiree Susanne Fest said Trump had created “a constitutional crisis,” adding, “The guy is a lunatic.” In the US, a loose coalition of left-leaning groups like MoveOn and Women’s March organized “Hands Off” events in more than 1,000 cities and in every congressional district, the groups said. – Anger – Trump has angered many Americans by moving aggressively to downsize the government, unilaterally impose conservative values and sharply pressure even friendly countries over borders and trade, causing stock markets to tank. “We’re out here to stop the, honestly, fascism,” protester Dominic Santella told AFP in Boston. “We’re stopping a leader from… jailing his opponents, stopping him from jailing just random people, immigrants.” Many Democrats are irate that their party, in the minority in both houses of Congress, has seemed so helpless to resist Trump’s moves. At the National Mall, just blocks from the White House, thousands heard speakers including Representative Jamie Raskin, a Democrat who served as impeachment manager during Trump’s second impeachment. “No moral person wants an economy-crashing dictator who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing,” he told the crowd. Activist Graylan Hagler, 71, also addressed the protest, saying: “They’ve woken up a sleeping giant, and they haven’t seen nothing yet.” “We will not sit down, we will not be quiet, and we will not go away.” Saturday’s protests were largely peaceful, with a lively and positive atmosphere filling Washington on a mild spring day. Demonstrators ranged from elderly citizens to young families with babies in strollers. A similar Women’s March held after Trump’s 2016 election drew around half a million people to the capital. Organizers of the latest Washington rally had initially expected 20,000 participants, but by Saturday afternoon, they reported a significantly larger turnout. As Trump continues to shake up Washington, his approval rating has dropped to its lowest point since taking office, according to recent polls. Still, despite international criticism of his sweeping tariffs and growing frustration among Americans, the White House has downplayed the protests. The Republican president, still popular with his base, shows no sign of relenting. “My policies will never change,” Trump said Friday.