Chants erupted and car horns blared outside the Tesla showroom in Palo Alto as over a hundred protesters rallied on Saturday against the Trump administration’s mass federal worker layoffs, Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency and the administration as a whole. Demonstrators marched down El Camino Real, waving signs that read “Stand with Ukraine” and “Stop Musk’s coup.”
Across the Bay Area, hundreds of other protestors gathered at Santana Row, Sunnyvale, Oakland and San Francisco to oppose Elon Musk’s growing governmental role.
The protest, which was organized by a coalition of organizations, including the San Jose Peace and Justice Center, followed a Feb. 28 demonstration at Tesla HQ on El Camino Real. Palo Alto resident Elliot Reed marched against the federal administration and Elon Musk.
“Democracy is going to be over soon,” Reed said. “It took Hitler 58 days, Trump is moving nearly as fast and I really need to make my voice heard.”
Other protestors echoed concerns about Trump’s leadership.
“I just feel like [Trump is] totally inept,” Emerald Hills resident Diane said. “I almost think he’s a psychopath, his anger, his hate, his brutality. That isn’t us. That isn’t what America is all about.”
On Feb. 28, President Donald Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office to discuss a U.S. rare mineral deal. The televised meeting ended in a fiery clash, prompting Trump to cancel the rest of Zelensky’s visit.
“My brothers were both in the Second World War,” Diane said. “They fought for democracy, and I wanted to honor their memories. But yesterday, when I saw [the Trump–Zelensky] meeting on television, I said ‘I absolutely have to be here’.”
Protestors also condemned Elon Musk’s growing role in the federal administration. DOGE has laid off thousands of federal employees, with around 2000 individuals apart in tech industries alongside 70 18F — General Service Administration employees — being laid off in the Bay Area, placing nearly all U.S. Agency for International Development staff on leave. DOGE claims $65 billion in savings, but with only $9.6 billion in contracts and $144 million in leases detailed, the full breakdown remains unclear due to data delays.
Palo Alto resident Kirsten Daehler, who works in education and spoke independently from her employer, voiced concern over the impact of budget cuts on education. Daehler said her organization has already lost 25% of its staff and that essential programs supporting teachers and parents are being cut as a result of DOGE policy.
“We’re here to stop fascism from spreading throughout the U.S. and internationally,” Justin, a Palo Alto resident, said. “People’s social security is on the line.”
Others, like Palo Alto resident Elaine Elbirzri, collected signatures for a petition for the California Fair Elections Act, which would repeal the ban on public funding of political campaigns.
“It opens up democracy, it gives people more opportunity to vote for what they want,” Elbirzri said. “Basic grassroots efforts is what will extend democracy and prevent things like this from happening.”
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Confusing but the coalition of orgs put together the feb 28 demo. The March 1 demo was organized by Indivisible Palo Alto Plus.