Protesters gather in Ottawa to sound off Trump, Musk as part of global ‘Hands Off!’ demonstrations

A protester holds a sign at a "HandsUp!"demonstration against U.S. president Donald Trump on April 5, 2025. (Andrew Adlington/CTV News Ottawa)

Opponents of Donald Trump and Elon Musk gathered on a cold, rainy spring day in Ottawa Saturday as part of global protests against the U.S. president.

The group Indivisible Ottawa, a chapter of a U.S.-based advocacy group, and other community organizations organized the “Hands Off!” protest to counter Trump’s policies and rhetoric towards Canada, including his imposing of tariffs and threats of annexation.

About 100 protesters in Ottawa huddled under umbrellas holding Canadian flags and signs with the words “resist” and “stand-up.” Demonstrators gathered near the U.S. embassy before moving to Major’s Hill Park behind the building.

The protest coincides with thousands of other “Hands Off!” demonstrations taking place in the United States and around the world, with civil rights groups and grassroots organizations sounding off on policies from the Trump administration, including the move to downsize the U.S. government, deport immigrants and impose tariffs on global imports, among others.

Protests were also organized in Vancouver and Calgary and major European cities, including London and Paris.

Indivisible Canada says they are being joined by Canadians and Americans who are “standing up for democracy and protesting the cruel and lawless actions of President Trump and Elon Musk,” the group said in a news release.

Jay Baltz, a Canadian-American dual citizen with Indivisible Ottawa, says their aim is to counter what he says is corruption and hostility by Canada’s longtime ally.

“Canadians, we’re known to be polite and say sorry all the time, but if you start to push, it becomes pretty clear that Canadians aren’t going to take this sort of thing lying down,” he told Newstalk 580 CFRA’s CFRA Live with Andrew Pinsent before the protest.

Born in Philadelphia, Baltz says Trump’s rhetoric has united Canadians.

“In the 32 years I’ve been in Canada, I haven’t seen a lot of things that Quebec and Alberta agree on, but pushing back against this, an attack on our identity, is one of them,” he said.

Protesters were also calling out the involvement of billionaire Elon Musk, a Canadian citizen, who owns Tesla and the social media platform X.

Musk has said he is saving taxpayers billions of dollars with his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), tasked to substantially reduce the U.S. federal government.

Protests against the billionaire have taken place at Tesla dealerships, including in Ottawa. On Monday, a climate protester spray painted the dealership on Carling Avenue only days after targeting the U.S. embassy with the same stunt.

An “Elbows Up” protest was also held in front of the embassy last week.

Trump announced sweeping reciprocal global tariffs on his so-called “Liberation Day” Wednesday.

Experts say tariffs will have a significant impact on the Canadian economy, potentially triggering a recession, but certain industries like retail and tourism could benefit while others like automotive and manufacturing could see a more significant downside.

In a statement to the Associated Press about the protests in the U.S., the White House said that “President Trump’s position is clear: he will always protect Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid for eligible beneficiaries. Meanwhile, the Democrats’ stance is giving Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare benefits to illegal aliens, which will bankrupt these programs and crush American seniors.”

With files from the Associated Press