Demonstrators gathered in cities across the U.S. on Wednesday to protest the Trump administration's early actions, decrying everything from the president's immigration crackdown to his rollback of transgender rights and a proposal to forcibly transfer Palestinians from the Gaza Strip.
Protesters in Philadelphia and at state capitols in California, Minnesota, Michigan, Texas, Wisconsin, Indiana and beyond waved signs denouncing President Donald Trump; , the leader of Trump鈥檚 new Department of Government Efficiency; and , a hard-right playbook for American government and society.
鈥淚鈥檓 appalled by democracy鈥檚 changes in the last, well, specifically two weeks 鈥 but it started a long time ago,鈥 Margaret Wilmeth said at a protest outside the Statehouse in Columbus, Ohio. 鈥淪o I鈥檓 just trying to put a presence into resistance.鈥
The protests were a result of a movement that has organized online under the hashtags #buildtheresistance and #50501, which stands for 50 protests, 50 states, one day. Websites and accounts across social media issued calls for action, with messages such as 鈥渞eject fascism鈥 and 鈥渄efend our democracy.鈥
Outside the state Capitol in Lansing, Michigan, a crowd of hundreds gathered in freezing temperatures.
Catie Miglietti, from the Ann Arbor area, said Musk鈥檚 access to Treasury Department data was especially concerning. She painted a sign depicting Musk puppeteering Trump from his outraised arm 鈥 evoking Musk鈥檚 straight-arm gesture during a January speech that some have
鈥淚f we don鈥檛 stop it and get Congress to do something, it鈥檚 an attack on democracy,鈥 Miglietti said.
Demonstrations in several cities piled criticism on Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency.
鈥淒OGE is not legit,鈥 read one poster on the state Capitol steps in Jefferson City, Missouri, where dozens of protesters gathered. 鈥淲hy does Elon have your Social Security info???鈥
Members of Congress have could lead to security risks or missed payments for programs such as Social Security and Medicare. A Treasury Department official says a tech executive working with DOGE will have 鈥渞ead-only access.鈥
Trump has signed a series of executive orders in the first of his new term on everything from trade and to . As Democrats in opposition to Trump鈥檚 agenda, protests have multiplied.
Demonstrators strode through downtown Austin, Texas. They assembled in Atlanta's Centennial Olympic Park for a march to Georgia's state Capitol and gathered outside California's Democratic-dominated Legislature in Sacramento. In Denver, protests coincided with nearby operations by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and an unspecified number of people detained.
鈥淲e need to show strength," said Laura Wilde, a former public school occupational therapist in Austin. 鈥淚 think we're in a state of shock.鈥
Thousands protested in St. Paul, Minnesota, where 28-year-old Hallie Parten carried a Democratic presidential campaign sign, revised to read 鈥淗arris Walz Were Right.鈥 The Minneapolis resident says she was motivated by fear.
鈥淔ear for what is going to happen to our country if we don鈥檛 all just do something about it,鈥 Parten said.
In Alabama, several hundred people gathered outside the Statehouse to protest actions targeting LGBTQ+ people.
On Tuesday, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey promised to sign legislation declaring that there are only two sexes, male and female 鈥 echoing .
鈥淭he president thinks he has a lot of power," the Rev. Julie Conrady, a Unitarian Universalist minister, told the crowd. 鈥淗e does not have the power to determine your gender. He does not have the power to define your identity.鈥
___
The attribution for a quote from the Alabama protest has been corrected to reflect that it was from The Rev. Julie Conrady, not Patricia Todd.
___
Associated Press journalists Joey Cappelletti and Isabella Volmert in Lansing, Michigan; Julie Smyth in Columbus, Ohio; Summer Ballentine in Jefferson City, Missouri; Scott Bauer in Madison, Wisconsin; Michael Conroy in Indianapolis, Indiana; Kim Chandler in Montgomery, Alabama; Sophie Austin in Sacramento, California; Steve Karnowski in St. Paul, Minnesota; Mike Stewart in Atlanta; and Gabriel Sandoval in Phoenix contributed to this report.
