By Bryn Macias
Staff Writer | The Pacific Times
On Presidents Day, Monday, Feb. 17, hundreds gathered at the California State Capitol to protest Project 2025, President Donald Trump, and his policies. I attended the protest because I believe that President Trump is a threat to our country. Like many other Americans, I have felt helpless over the past few months, especially as someone who is not old enough to vote. Attending protests like those organized by the 50501 Movement gives me hope that myself and others who share similar values can enact change while showing support for the people in our country who are afraid of what might happen to them under the Trump presidency.
The protest was organized by the 50501 Movement, a grassroots organization started in response to the “anti-democratic and illegal actions of the Trump administration,” as stated on their website. 50501 stands for 50 protests, 50 states, one day. The media widely referred to the nationwide demonstrations on Feb. 17 as “No Kings Day” and “Not My President Day.” “No Kings Day” refers to many people’s belief that President Trump is encouraging oligarchs, acting as an autocrat, and trying to gain more executive power.
I attended the demonstration because I believe it is imperative to have a president who works for all the American people rather than one who works only for the benefit of themselves and other wealthy and powerful individuals. Trump’s actions have shown me that he does not value Americans who think differently from him or come from different backgrounds.
A cornerstone of the 50501 Movement is a commitment to nonviolence, and as a result, it remained peaceful for the four-hour protest. There was little visible police presence at the Sacramento demonstration.
Many protesters displayed handmade signs featuring slogans such as “No Kings, No Oligarchs,” and “Pro-America, Anti-Trump,” and many carried or wore gay and trans pride flags, as well as American and Mexican flags. There were also larger displays of political speech, including a papier-mâché head of President Trump with devil horns and a 10-foot-tall inflatable duck meant to imitate the President with the words “Felon,” “Liar,” and “Idiot” painted on it.
Speakers with the 50501 Movement’s Sacramento chapter and Indivisible Sacramento led the crowd in various chants, one of them being “Deport Elon,” referring to Elon Musk, an immigra
nt multimillionaire widely believed to be heading the new Department of Government Efficiency. Chants to “Deport Elon” referenced deportations spearheaded by the Trump Administration. President Trump has expanded the use of expedited removal, according to The White House, after declaring that illegal immigration is a national emergency. CBS News reported Musk, an immigrant, was Trump’s largest donor in the 2024 election cycle.
Another focus of the 50501 protest was Project 2025, with one American flag displaying the words “Stop Project 2025” being waved at the front of the capitol building. Project 2025 is a list of proposals President Trump has denied involvement in. President Trump posted on Truth Social in 2024, saying, “I know nothing about Project 2025,” calling its proposals “absolutely ridiculous and abysmal.”
However, it is worth noting that multiple authors of the policy have been appointed to government positions by President Trump and proposed policies and initiatives in Project 2025, such as eliminating job protections for some federal employees and calling for the eradication of the Department of Education have all come to fruition in the early days of his Presidency,
Monday’s protest brought people of all genders, races, and ages from the California area to the capital, although it appeared to draw an older and less ethnically diverse crowd than Sacramento’s general population. Many families brought their young babies and toddlers to the protest, and both young girls and older men could be heard chanting “My Body, My Choice,” and holding signs with slogans such as, “Protect Trans Youth” and “Old Farts Against Racism.” A group of three women also attended the event dressed in red robes depicted in Margaret check Atwood’s “The Handmaid’s Tale,” a feminist novel depicting a totalitarian America run by fundamentalist Christians in which women are oppressed and controlled.
Attending the protest on President’s Day and seeing such a wide variety of people displaying their political opinions was an inspiring and energizing experience. It gave me hope to see so many people who are not enabling the harmful behavior of President Trump and his conservative allies, and who are willing to show up for those being threatened by them. People need to be involved in and informed about local and federal politics to make informed decisions when voting and demonstrating. An easy and accessible way to become involved in politics, especially for people who are not old enough to vote yet, is to attend local protests with an open mind.
For more information on the organization that planned the protests, students can visit https://www.fiftyfifty.one/.
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