Protesters in Detroit and Canada unify across river, rally against Trump presidency

• The protest took place on both sides of the American-Canadian border in downtown Detroit and Windsor.
• Protesters expressed concern over an array of issues, including tariff policies, Elon Musk's influence, international relations and the future of Social Security under Trump.

In a protest transcending national boundaries, hundreds of Detroiters and Canadians came out Saturday afternoon to voice their displeasure with President Donald Trump and the American government.

Hundreds gathered at Hart Plaza on the American side of the demonstration, mirroring a significant, though smaller, turnout across the river in Windsor. The protesters at Saturday's rally in downtown Detroit stood unified under an anti-Trump banner but were motivated by a plethora of issues, including tariffs, the future of Social Security, the war in Ukraine, relationships with Canada, media mogul and Tesla CEO Elon Musk and federal job cuts.

Jacquelyn Scott, a protester from Farmington Hills, said she decided to protest out of anger and fear. She said she worries about the future of Social Security, which she has been paying into for 50 years.

"I'm so stressed out based on what Donald Trump is doing," Scott said. "He's taking jobs. He's destroying our democracy. He doesn't care. I worked 50 years for my Social Security and Medicare, and to see someone trying to take it away and give tax cuts to the rich — how is that even possible?"

Scott said that during the first Trump administration, she felt like the presidency was guided by the Constitution. This time around, she said she feels the government has accelerated into unconstitutional territory.

"Look what he's done in two months," Scott said.

And as for the next three years, Scott said nothing but, "Oh, Lord, I stay in prayer."

The protest in Detroit comes after a flurry of political movement and rising tensions in response to the blistering pace of change set by the Trump administration, especially among American and Canadian relations. On Wednesday, the mayor of Sarnia — the Canadian city that sits across the river from Port Huron — requested that all American flags in the city be taken down, citing "economic terrorism."

Fabrice Smieliauskas, a professor of economics at Wayne State University and a native Canadian, said he was motivated to join the protest movement over his concern with the Trump administration's tariff policies.

As an economics expert, Smieliauskas said, "Tariffs are just a destructive force economically," while highlighting the important role Detroit plays in the trade economy between Canada and the United States.

"This is the sort of biggest border crossing between the United States and Canada," Smieliauskas said, pointing across the Detroit River to Windsor. "Trade is our lifeblood, especially for the auto industry, and this will just slow down and harm this industry in a way that is essentially pointless for both countries."

As a Mississaugan, Smieliauskas said animosity between Canada and the United States worries him.

"As a Canadian, you know, I'm upset about just the friction this has caused between our two countries," Smieliauskas said, explaining that his family in Canada has begun boycotting American-made products.

Smieliauskas himself is also trying to engage in boycotting action. He hopes to sell his Tesla — manufactured by Musk's company — as a method of dissent.

Amid all of the political tension, Smieliauskas said he saw some catharsis through a wide-reaching protest like Saturday's.

"This was the first protest I've seen about the tariffs and about our global sort of relationships with Canada and Mexico," Smieliauskas said, emphasizing the importance of economic policy. "I'm glad to see, though, that the turnout at this first one is huge — much bigger than I thought."

The protests, organizers said, won't end with Saturday's joint rally with Windsor. They plan to continue demonstrations in Rochester Hills on Sunday, with more protests scheduled in Detroit and Lansing through the spring.

During the afternoon, organizers and activists stood atop the steps at Hart Plaza to voice their concerns through loudspeakers about the country's future. Canadian flags and American flags alike waved in the wind. As the protest wound down, the American side of the demonstration sang both countries' national anthems and waved — from about a mile away — across the Canadian border to the protesters on the other side of the river.

Contact Liam Rappleye: LRappleye@freepress.com