On Wednesday, thousands of protesters gathered outside a federal courtroom in Philadelphia and at state capitols in Michigan, Texas, Wisconsin, and Indiana as part of a movement to protest the early actions of President Donald Trump’s administration.
Protesters held signs criticizing Trump, Project 2025, a hard-right blueprint for American culture and government, and billionaire Elon Musk, who heads Trump’s new Department of Government Efficiency.
Democracy cannot be watched from a distance! One Philadelphia protester held a sign that read, “Do something.”
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The movement behind the protests was coordinated online under the hashtags #50501 (50 protests, 50 states, one day) and #buildtheresistance. Social media profiles and websites made calls to action, stating things like “defend our democracy” and “reject fascism.”
In cold weather, over 500 people gathered outside the state capitol in Lansing, Michigan. They criticized everything from Trump’s intentions for Gaza to the current attempts to deport illegal immigrants and the revocation of rights for transgender neighbors.
Ann Arbor resident Catie Miglietti expressed particular alarm about Musk’s access to Treasury Department data. Drawing inspiration from Musk’s straight-arm gesture during a January speech that some have construed as a Nazi salute, she designed a placard showing Musk puppeteering Trump from his outstretched arm.
“It’s an attack on democracy if we don’t stop it and get Congress to do something,” she warned.
After learning about the protest movement on Sunday night, Kelsey Brianne, a main organizer of the rally in Michigan, has been organizing speakers and safety procedures.
On the eve of the protests, Brianne remarked, “I want to look back on this time and say that I did something and I didn’t just sit back.”
In the first few weeks of his new administration, Trump has issued a number of executive orders addressing issues ranging from immigration and trade to climate change. Protests have also started as Democrats start speaking out against Trump’s plans.
Protesters blocked a key roadway in downtown Los Angeles for hours on Sunday as thousands of people marched against Trump’s proposal for mass deportations in Southern California.