Thousands Across the Country Gather on President’s Day for Anti-Trump Protests
On February 17, hundreds of protestors gathered on President’s day to protest the Trump administration.
Hundreds of protestors met at the State Capitol to protest Trump’s presidency and the executive orders he has written since his inauguration. In addition to the protests at the State Capitol, protests were also organized across all 50 states by the “50501 Movement,” an organization that stands for “50 states, 50 protests, 1 movement.” The call for protests originated on the social media app Reddit and quickly snowballed from there.
Protestors gathered not only to protest against president Trump, but to protest the actions of his entire administration. This includes officials like Elon Musk, who hold positions of power while not having been formally elected to an official government position. Protestors rallied against the stripping of federal protections and policies like those on diversity equity and inclusion (DEI) that Trump signed an executive order to remove on the day of his inauguration.
Sydney Wilson, an organizer for protests that occurred in Pittsburgh, stated, “We are still very much calling for the removal of Elon Musk. We find it very concerning that there is a non-government official that has the access that he does. We would like to see the strengthening of anti-discrimination legislation.”
Social media has provided a way for protestors to rally together and organize more quickly. Some major news organizations were criticized for their lack of coverage on the anti-Trump protests, with some people citing a potential bias as a reason. The protestors denounced the Trump administration’s executive orders. They also called for the impeachment of Trump and the removal of Musk from his position in government.
