More than 10,000 protesters gathered in New York City on Presidents Day to speak out against the current Trump administration and the actions in particular of Elon Musks Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).It was one of several protests that took place Monday in major cities across the country and came during the same long weekend that smaller protests sprouted up at Tesla dealerships across the country.Protesters who spoke to TechCrunch from Washington Square Park, raised concerns about DOGEs access to sensitive data of millions of Americans and the groups dismantling of federal agencies. They said that they view Musks work with DOGE as a veiled attempt at a financial power grab, and expressed frustration that Musk, an unelected official, has gained unprecedented levels of power over the federal government.I think its extremely dangerous that [Musk] has access to our personal data, Dmitri, 53, an architect who asked that his last name not be used, told TechCrunch. Hes kind of a futurist fanboy whos basically living in a sci-fi fantasy and trying to implement that, and has the resources to do mass amounts of damage. Hes tinkering with something that he doesnt have the ability to actually understand.Protesters hold up signs at an NYC protest on Presidents Day, February 17, 2025.Image Credits:Rebecca BellanA 55-year-old retired teacher who identified himself only as Tom and who held a sign that read: No one voted for Musk, told TechCrunch, As much as I dislike the fact that a significant number of Americans voted for Trump, it is absolutely the case that no one voted for Musk.Tom noted that he didnt believe the average MAGA supporter voted for Musk and worried that DOGEs cuts would hurt Americans on a state, local, and individual level.The consolidation of power under billionaires is a frightening thing, he said.Trump signed an executive order on his first day in office to create DOGE, giving Musk, the billionaire owner of SpaceX, Tesla, X, and other companies, the reins to root out government fraud, waste, and abuse of taxpayer dollars.Since then, DOGE has fired nearly 10,000 federal workers who handled everything from managing federal lands to caring for military veterans. Another 75,000 workers have accepted the Trump administrations buyout proposal, which in late January offered federal workers eight months pay and benefits to leave their posts if they resigned in early February. DOGE has also cut 104 government contracts related to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility programs and dismantled the U.S. Agency for International Development.Trump also granted Musks DOGE team access to the Treasury departments digital payments system, which controls trillions of dollars in payments to Americans, from Social Security benefits to tax refunds, despite questions about their security clearances, their cybersecurity practices, and the legality of Musks activities.Supporters of Trump and Musk applaud their on-paper efforts to root out corruption, inefficiency, and red tape. Opponents object to the way DOGE is going about its stated goals, and warn that the teams actions will lead to more corruption and national security risks.A wave of legal challenges has followed that allege a lack of transparency and data privacy violations.The protesters in New York started at Union Square and marched to Washington Square Park, congregating under the iconic memorial arch dedicated to George Washington, the nations first president. They chanted Hey, hey, ho, ho, Elon Musk has got to go, and held signs that touted a range of causes, but Musk and DOGE were a common theme throughout.Protesters gathered under the arch at Washington Square Park. Image Credits:Rebecca BellanThe New York Police Department estimated the number of attendees to be more than 10,000.Victoria, who identified herself as a 37-year-old teacher, held a sign that read: Stop the coup, echoing comments made to The Guardian on Monday by Arizonas attorney general, Kris Mayes, who told told the outlet, In the U.S., we appeal rulings we disagree with we dont ignore court orders or threaten judges with impeachment just because we dont like the decision. This is a coup, plain and simple.As people played music and shouted chants, their homemade signs raised over their heads, a 39-year-old small business owner who identified himself as Corwin said of Musk, hes so conflicted and its so clear that his antiregulatory attitudes benefit him personally and financially.Musk has targeted several agencies for reduction or dismantling that regulates industries in which his companies operate. Earlier this month, Musk said he wants to eliminate the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which would regulate Xs planned expansion to financial services, posting on his social network X CFBP RIP, punctuated with a tombstone emoji. He has stated an intention to go after the Federal Aviation Administration, an agency hes clashed with before and one that regulates SpaceX. He has also called for ending a rule that requires automakers to report crashes when autonomous driving technology is engaged.Musks actions at the federal level have affected Teslas brand image. During the automakers 2024 fourth-quarter earnings, analyst Thomas Monteiro of Investing.com noted that the hype around Tesla is trending downward due to, among other things, severe brand devaluation.Stories are cropping up of people selling their Teslas out of a desire to no longer support Musks businesses. Some Cybertruck owners have reported instances of vandalism and harassment. The automakers sales, which were already beginning to suffer due to increased competition in the market and a stale lineup, have begun to plummet in Europe after a gesture by Musk, at the presidents inauguration, was seen by many as a Nazi salute. Polands sports and tourism minister Slawomir Nitras lobbied for a Tesla boycott, and in Germany, several companies have cut ties with Tesla in reaction to Musks support both for Trump and the far-right political party Alternative for Germany (AfD).