Protesters Nationwide Take to the Streets, Condemn Trump’s Authoritarian Agenda

Tens of thousands took to the streets across the United States on Saturday in a scathing indictment of Donald Trump’s mounting pile of attacks. These protests came just two weeks following the “Hands Off” protests that brought out millions of people across the country to the streets in coordinated actions, denouncing the administration’s attacks on social programs, such as Social Security and Medicaid, as well as its anti-immigrant measures, attacks on free speech, and continued repression of students and protesters.

Organized under the banner of “50501” — standing for “50 protests, 50 states, 1 movement” — the demonstrations coincided with the 250th anniversary of the start of the American Revolutionary War. From outside the White House to Tesla dealerships to major city centers, protesters rallied in 700 different events across the country to show they aren’t backing down.

While organizers explicitly called for a “day of action” and “community events” rather than another day of protest in an effort to contain and demobilize after April 5, the scale of participation reveals the deep-seated anger of the masses that goes well beyond the maneuvers of the movement’s leadership. From New York to Cincinnati to Jacksonville, tens of thousands mobilized for the second time this month, signaling a continued resistance to Trump’s attacks on federal programs, democratic rights, and immigrant communities. The turnout was not just a show of opposition, but a declaration of defiance — proof that people are ready to fight back.

In New York City, an estimated 50,000 people took to the streets in Manhattan, filling Madison Avenue. This protest was larger than the mobilization on April 5, drawing tens of thousands of more people to the streets to denounce Trump’s attacks on the climate, as well as on democratic rights, including the wrongful detention of student activists such as Mahmoud Khalil and Rumeysa Ozturk. There were also calls to demand the return and release of Kilmar Abrego García who was wrongfully deported to El Salvador last week.

Indeed, in addition to the slew of attacks that Trump has advanced in the first 100 days of his second term — from attacks on federal jobs and programs to those on immigration and free speech — the mistaken deportation of Abrego García and his continued detention in the country’s notorious mega-prison CECOT has become a rallying cry. Like in other key cities, in Washington DC, protesters marched down Constitution Avenue, chanting “Bring Kilmar home.”

In Chicago, thousands converged at Daley Plaza and filled the city’s streets. Protesters sent a clear message that now is the time to stand up to the administration’s attacks.

In Boston, protesters rebuked Trump’s proclamation that he was the “King of America.” Signs and chants filled the city’s major park with slogans and chants like “No kings!”

The outpouring of rage against Trump’s attacks takes place against a backdrop of growing discontent with the presidency. Since taking office, Trump’s approval rating has fallen to 43 percent, compared to 47 percent when he took office. A mere 37 percent approve of his handling of the economy, compared to 42 percent during inauguration.

The massive protests against Trump’s xenophobic and authoritarian agenda shows but a glimpse of the immense power we have when we take to the streets. That power is not derived from the Democratic Party or its proxies that want to defang our movements, but the rage of the millions of people who oppose the Far Right. Harnessing and expanding that anger to bring more people to the streets requires uniting our struggles against not only Trump, but the entire imperialist regime that engenders these attacks.

The energy of these protests must be turned into sustained organization from below. We need to take this struggle beyond the streets — into our schools, our workplaces, and our communities. Whether it’s walkouts against repression, strikes for immigrant rights, or mass mobilizations to stop deportations, the fight must be taken to where we are strongest: through independent working-class action, outside the control of capitalist politicians who will always sell us out.

Trump’s regime thrives on division and despair. Our answer must be unity and resistance. The protests of today can become the strikes and uprisings of tomorrow.

Posted in Progressive Political News