By Sara Ruberg
Thousands of people turned out across the U.S. earlier this week to protest President Donald Trump’s flurry of early actions, denouncing his plans for mass deportations, his attacks on diversity initiatives and his efforts to restrict transgender rights.
The demonstrations, which popped up in major cities and state capitals in more than a dozen states on Wednesday, appear to have been spurred online, with word spreading via hashtags such as “#BuildtheResistance.” They were loosely organized under an unofficial tagline — 50501, to represent a goal of 50 protests in 50 states on one day, according to various websites and social media accounts. Most demonstrations began in the afternoon at capitol buildings and at city halls.
Those involved say that the movement is meant to protest Trump’s early actions and Project 2025, the conservative policy blueprint that Trump sought to distance himself from during the campaign. Many of his plans so far are aligned with Project 2025 proposals.
The demonstrations gained momentum this week on social media platforms including Reddit, Instagram, TikTok and X, the social media site owned by Elon Musk, the world’s richest man and a close adviser to Trump. Musk’s own moves — leading a team that has aggressively pushed into the systems of a number of government agencies and attempted to shutter at least one wholesale — have also prompted protests.
Carrie Rheingans, a Democratic state representative in Michigan who spoke at the protests in Lansing, said people from across the state gathered at the state Capitol in below freezing temperatures. She added that the protests came together over 48 hours and were organized by people who “couldn’t take it anymore.”
“This was organized by people, for people, for the protection of all people,” Rheingans said. “There will be more actions. There will be more organizing. There will be more things for regular everyday Americans to plug into. This is just the beginning.”
In Austin, Texas, demonstrators filled the lawn and walkway outside of the state Capitol, chanting and holding signs that read, “We the people reject Project 2025.” On the East Cost, people gathered on the streets of Philadelphia, and police stood watch at protests in Boston.
People filled the steps and snowy walkways leading to the Minnesota Capitol in St. Paul, waving American and Mexican flags, as well as LGBTQ+ pride flags. Denver residents protested by foot and vehicle, waving signs and flags out of their car windows as they drove down Lincoln Street in Denver near the Colorado Capitol.
Many protesters were criticizing both Trump and Musk.
The demonstrations Wednesday came days after marchers shut down the U.S. 101 highway in Los Angeles for several hours, decrying Trump’s plans for mass deportations. Whether the protests will amount to a sustained anti-Trump movement is yet to be seen.
In the weeks following the election, Democrats were not able to come together under a single message as they did after the 2016 election, when Trump won the first time. Even the grassroots efforts that once organized large national marches and protests after Trump’s first inauguration have struggled to unite again.
