Los angeles: Hundreds of students and workers across Southern California left classrooms and workplaces on Tuesday afternoon to join coordinated ‘Free America Walkout’ protests, with a major rally held at Los Angeles City Hall, according to several reports.

According to Anadolu Agency, the protests were organized by the Women’s March and aimed at opposing President Donald Trump’s controversial immigration policies, military deployments in US cities, and attacks on transgender rights during his first year back in office. Demonstrations were reported in downtown Los Angeles, Pasadena, Burbank, Long Beach, and Santa Monica, with students from Garfield and Roosevelt high schools in East L.A. joining the central rally.

Protester Mario Noguera expressed dissatisfaction with Trump’s actions, telling ABC7 News, “I just don’t know if he’s (Trump) actually done anything that is positive. Everything’s been about depleting everything: resources, rights. I just don’t feel like we’re getting anywhere.” The walkout coincided with the anniversary of Trump’s inauguration, which he marked with a lengthy news conference praising his record.

Trump stated, “We have a book that I’m not going to read to you, but these are the accomplishments of what we’ve produced, page after page after page of individual things. I could sit here, read it for a week, and we wouldn’t be finished.” Organizers noted that the weekday timing of the protest was intentional, emphasizing that “a walkout interrupts business as usual,” showcasing collective power over symbolic dissent.

In response, Republican Party of Los Angeles County Chair Roxanne Hoge dismissed the protests, telling the LA Daily News, “Their boring, predictable tantrums are now part of the L.A. landscape . We are interested in good governance and public safety, and wish our Democrat friends would join us in advocating for both.”