On Presidents Day, thousands of protestors gathered in major cities across the United States to oppose Donald Trump’s overreach in reshaping the federal government, as well as Elon Musk’s involvement with DOGE. Demonstrators condemned the administration’s executive actions targeting transgender rights, undocumented immigrants, and federal overreach, as a response to what organizers describe as "the anti-democratic and illegal actions of the Trump administration."
The demonstrations occurred in key locations nationwide, including Union Square in New York, the California State Capitol in Sacramento, the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., and the Georgia State Capitol in Atlanta. Protestors embraced the American flag as a symbol of patriotism, and carried signs with messages: “No Billionaire Kings,” “Stop the Coup,” and “Fight Fascism Everywhere.”
The protest was organized by the 50501 Movement, short for “50 protests. 50 states. 1 movement.” Originating on Reddit, and quickly gaining traction from people frustrated with the Trump administration, the rapid growth of this movement demonstrates the increasing role of technology in modern political activism. The Presidents Day protest will be their second: the first protest occurred on Feb. 5, with nearly 80 protests across 88 cities in all 50 states, calling for Trump’s impeachment and investigation into Elon Musk.
Although the protests are not affiliated with any political party and are loosely organized locally, they have joined forces with Political Revolution, an organization that emerged from Senator Bernie Sanders’ 2016 presidential campaign, further amplifying its reach.
Unlike Trump’s first term, where mass protests were a defining feature of the opposition, public protests so far during his second term have been much more subdued due to fears of retribution, as well as a sense of resignation. However, this recent wave of mobilization hints at a shift in momentum, as protesters see their efforts not just as resistance, but as a show of solidarity, and a commitment to democracy and civic engagement.
With public opinion increasingly polarized, the resurgence of mass mobilization raises a few key questions: Can grassroots movements like 50501 sustain long-term pressure? Will protests shift political dynamics ahead of upcoming elections? So far though, these protests serve as a sign of hope, and activists are refusing to stay silent.
sources:
https://www.npr.org/2025/02/16/nx-s1-5297117/50501-movement-presidents-day-protests-explainer
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/17/us/politics/trump-musk-protests-50501-presidents-day.html
https://apnews.com/article/president-donald-trump-protest-c8796556fbf20e796f42167f61c3d942
6 comments:
I agree about the protest being a sign of hope against the administration’s executive actions such as the transgender rights, undoccumented immigrants, and federal overreach. However, what I am afraid of is that at this point the protests are not making enough of a negative impact towards figures like President Trump and Elon Musk. This is because there are no perfect decisions with someone always being upset. Of course in this case, I personally think that the administration is abusing their executive power which is wrong. However, the adminstration expects a level of retaliation and is utilizing those retaliations that make it to the News and Articles to get more people’s attention. At the same time, a protest that forces the admin to take an action is a violent kind, and those usually do not end well.
I think these movements can absolutely sustain long term pressure. There really is strength in numbers, and we have seen in the past that resistance from marginalized groups and minorities, though it may take a long time, does have the voice and power to spark change. This is one of the pros to a democracy--having people who will speak out against government when they feel the government is not protecting the greater good of society. Especially with the transgender community, basic unalienable rights are being taken away, their lives are being put in danger, and the executive orders that are being put in action pose direct threats to their lives, discriminating against the trans community. I am glad to see protests arise, as I hope it sparks change. However even if change takes a long time to arise with or without the protests, at the very least, protests will give those being discriminated against a sense of relief as they feel they are not alone--they still have support.
You bring up a good point about sheer emotion not being enough to produce change--and it made me think that due to the egregiousness of this administration---these protests probably probably suffice their point of trying to harm dissenters and crack down on these citizens who are viewed as the 'radical left' ect.
I’m very impressed that people have chosen to spend their time this way and use their voices like this. Obviously there are differing opinions in every state, even those who voted for Trump. I think most people can empathize with the middle class, most people are not billionaires and some believe that billionaires shouldn’t exist. I think this is very much out of fear for what Trump and Elon could do as people who have been shown to do kind of whatever they want and they have the money to do so. More and more people see how their democracy is at risk and for a country that was built on democratic ideals it's a precedent that most people can get behind. I wonder however, if this was such a widespread issue for so many people, why didn’t they do this before. It was fairly obvious that this was the kind of leader Trump was going to be, with the heavy support of Elon Musk, so why did we vote him in office?
Its good to see a large anti-trump movement so quickly after his election as it gives me hope that the American public is waking up a realizing the actions he's taking are destroying democracy. I do worry for the longevity of the movement, not because of people's hatred, but because of oppression ordered by Trump or Elon Musk. Based on the lack of checks that have been placed on them so far I don't doubt that some form of military or police intervention infringing on free speech against the two of them would go unpunished. However, the pressure being placed will hopefully be a wake up call for other politicians outside of the democrats telling them to block these executive orders and laws that strip Americans of their rights, including themselves.
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