Thousands protest against Trump administration policies and Project 2025 across the US
Protests took place across the US to reject Trump’s policies. (Selcuk Acar/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Thousands have rallied against the Trump-Vance administration policies and Project 2025 in protests across the US.
On Wednesday (5 February), protesters flocked to Philadelphia and state capitols of California, Minnesota, Michigan, Texas, Wisconsin, Indiana and more to rally against Trump’s raft of executive orders, including his DEI crackdown and reversal of trans rights.
Others held signs and banners rejecting billionaire Elon Musk’s new role as a “special government employee” in the new Department of Government Efficiency, and his and Trump’s plans to move to shut down USAID.
Other protesters denounced Project 2025, the infamous proposed manifesto for the ultra-conservative faction of the Republican Party which threatens LGBTQ+ rights.
Protesters initially came together via online organisation under the hashtags #buildtheresistance and #50501, referring to “50 protests, 50 states, one day”. Advocacy social media groups called for people to “reject fascism” and “defend our democracy”.
Demonstrators in Phoenix, Arizona chanted, “Deport Elon” and “No hate, no fear, immigrants are welcome here”. In Iowa’s Capitol in Des Moines, protesters went up against a registered event by the anti-LGBTQ+ rights group Moms for Liberty. Law enforcement removed four demonstrators from the event in handcuffs.
The protest comes after Musk’s live-streamed social media post on Monday (3 February) stating that the agency USAID is “beyond repair” and adding that President Trump agrees it should be shut down.
The agency has been under siege since Trump came to power. The Washington Post reports that it has been “whipsawed by aid freezes, personnel purges, and confusion.” USAID employs 10,000 people.
With a budget of over $50 billion, USAID is one of the largest official aid agencies in the world and carries out vital disaster relief. Its mission statement reads: “We partner to end extreme poverty and promote resilient, democratic societies while advancing our security and prosperity.”
Trump has ordered a global freeze on most US foreign aid, including vital programmes that aim to mitigate and manage the causes and consequences of violent conflict, instability and extremism, as part of his “America First” policy. Experts have warned that the sudden freeze in aid will lead to widespread humanitarian disaster and global instability.
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