On April 5, millions of people marched across over 1,200 cities in all 50 states to protest the presidency of Donald Trump and his partnership with tech billionaire Elon Musk. At least 25,000 were at the Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul, with many carrying signs and posters that showcased their disapproval with the way Trump was running the country.
“I feel like he’s not touching on aspects that actually impact the average citizen, and he just focuses on alienating people,” Edina High School junior Chloe Smith said. Smith protested at the Capitol to display her dissatisfaction with Trump’s policies.
The protests were mainly organized by the 50501 Movement, an organization with the goal of uniting all 50 states through protests in order to protect the civil liberties of the American people. “We, the American people, have banded together in the interest of a common goal; to end executive overreach and reject the authoritarian actions of the Trump Administration,” the organization wrote in the 50501 Welcome Guide. “We are not paid, or coerced into action. We are driven to act out of our own sense of what is right: decency, democracy, and civil liberty for all people.”
Trump recently appointed Musk as senior advisor and head of the newly-established Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), an action met with a lot of criticism. “I really don’t like Elon Musk as a part of our government,” Smith said. “I don’t like how DOGE is currently lying about what they’re saving in our government. I don’t like that they’re not keeping up with the promises they made to the people who voted for them.”
During his second presidency, Trump has made many cuts in programs nationwide, which are some of the main reasons people protested. “All of those cuts that are hurting so many good programs are the main reasons that I went to the protests. Many of the programs have some waste of course, but to cut the whole program isn’t the way to do things,” said Kathy Johnson, retired Minnesotan teacher. Johnson attended the protests with a few friends of hers at the Capitol.
To many people involved in the protests, the high turnout was a sign of hope again in a country they thought was failing them. “It felt great being around so many people who felt the same way I did,” Johnson said. “Even though the energy was strong, it was a peaceful show of strength, and I loved it.”
This piece was originally published in Zephyrus’ print edition on May 8, 2025
