Protests erupted across multiple cities in the United States on Wednesday as demonstrators voiced their opposition to the Trump administration's early actions, including its immigration crackdown, rollbacks of transgender rights, and proposals regarding the Gaza Strip.
Rallying under the banners of #buildtheresistance and #50501, protesters denounced not only President Donald Trump but also billionaire Elon Musk, who leads Trump’s new Department of Government Efficiency, as well as the controversial Project 2025, a hard-right blueprint for governance.
Margaret Wilmeth, speaking at a protest outside the Statehouse in Columbus, Ohio, said, “I’m appalled by democracy’s changes in the last, well, specifically two weeks — but it started a long time ago. So I’m just trying to put a presence into resistance.”
The protests were driven by a movement that organised through online platforms, urging citizens to “reject fascism” and “defend our democracy.”
Demonstrations took place in numerous cities, including Philadelphia, Lansing, Michigan, and state capitals in California, Minnesota, and Texas, with hundreds braving freezing temperatures in some locations.
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In Michigan’s state capital, Catie Miglietti, from Ann Arbor, raised concerns about Musk’s access to Treasury Department data. Holding a sign depicting Musk as a puppet master controlling Trump, Miglietti stated, “If we don’t stop it and get Congress to do something, it’s an attack on democracy.”
In several cities, protesters criticised Musk and the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency, with some accusing him of undermining public trust.
One poster in Jefferson City, Missouri, read, “DOGE is not legit,” a reference to Musk’s involvement with DOGE, a payment system tied to the US government.
Concerns have been raised in Congress over the involvement of DOGE with the government’s payment systems, particularly regarding potential risks to Social Security and Medicare.
However, a Treasury Department official clarified that a tech executive working with DOGE would have “read-only access.”
The protests come after President Trump signed a series of executive orders in his first weeks, addressing issues such as trade, immigration, and climate change.
As Democrats began to voice their opposition, protests against his agenda have intensified.
Demonstrations also took place in Phoenix, where chants of “deport Elon” were heard, and in St. Paul, Minnesota, where Hallie Parten, 28, held a revised Democratic campaign sign.
“Fear for what is going to happen to our country if we don’t all just do something about it,” Parten said.
In Iowa, anti-Trump protesters clashed with a conservative group, while in Alabama, demonstrators rallied outside the Statehouse against Trump’s policies on LGBTQ+ rights.
Governor Kay Ivey’s vow to sign legislation restricting the definition of sex to male and female was met with protests, as Rev. Julie Conrady, a Unitarian Universalist minister, declared, “He does not have the power to define your identity.”
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