Protesters in cities across the US rally against Trump’s policies, Project 2025 and Elon Musk

Nationwide protests against Trump administration's policies, including immigration crackdown and transgender rights rollback, spark resistance movement.

Demonstrators gathered in cities across the U.S. on Wednesday (February 5, 2025) 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; billionaire Elon Musk, the leader of Mr. Trump’s new Department of Government Efficiency; and Project 2025, a hard-right playbook for American government and society.

“I’m appalled by democracy’s changes in the last, well, specifically two weeks — but it started a long time ago,” Margaret Wilmeth said at a protest outside the Statehouse in Columbus, Ohio. “So I’m just trying to put a presence into resistance.”

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 “reject fascism” and “defend our democracy.”

Outside the State Capitol in Lansing, Michigan, a crowd of hundreds gathered in freezing temperatures.

Catie Miglietti, from the Ann Arbor area, said Mr. Musk’s access to Treasury Department data was especially concerning. She painted a sign depicting Mr. Musk puppeteering Mr. Trump from his outraised arm — evoking Mr. Musk’s straight-arm gesture during a January speech that some have interpreted as a Nazi salute.

“If we don’t stop it and get Congress to do something, it’s an attack on democracy,” Ms. Miglietti said.