Washington, Feb 7: People across several US states protested on Wednesday against President Donald Trump’s recent actions, focusing on immigration policies, changes in transgender rights, and the proposal to relocate Palestinians from Gaza.Protestors in cities such as Philadelphia, and state capitals in California, Minnesota, Michigan, Texas, Wisconsin, Indiana, and more, displayed signs criticising Trump, Elon Musk — who heads the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) — and Project 2025, a set of conservative policy proposals.
In Washington DC, hundreds rallied in support of USAID, which is facing shutdown under the Trump administration. This decision has caused US workers worldwide to prepare for relocations and close the agency’s decades-long mission.
I’m appalled by democracy’s changes in the last, well, specifically two weeks — but it started a long time ago,” said Margaret Wilmeth, a protester from Ohio, as reported by the Associated Press. “So I’m just trying to put a presence into resistance.”
The protests were organised online using the hashtags #buildtheresistance and #50501, representing 50 protests across 50 states on one day. Social media posts encouraged participation with messages such as ‘reject fascism’ and ‘defend our democracy’.
In Lansing, Michigan, protesters braved the cold weather. Catie Miglietti, from Ann Arbor, expressed concerns about Musk’s access to Treasury Department data. She held a sign depicting Musk as a puppeteer controlling Trump. “If we don’t stop it and get Congress to do something, it’s an attack on democracy,” Miglietti told news agency AP.
Protests also targeted Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).