Updated April 19, 2025 at 16:15 PM ET
Protesters turned out to demonstrate against the Trump administration in cities across the U.S. on Saturday, with organizers hoping to seize on what they say is growing resistance to anti-democratic policies.
Hundreds of protests, rallies and other actions against the Trump administration are taking place in cities across the U.S. this weekend.
In Washington, D.C., hundreds of protesters gathered in Lafayette Square outside the White House on Saturday morning to voice their opposition to the Trump administration. Demonstrators cited a range of concerns, including the deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia and the administration's moves to cut funding for research and higher education.
Michelle Willis, a paraeducator from New Bedford, Mass., drove to D.C. on Friday with her two children.
" We have to speak out, we have to stand up and you have to keep people energized," she said.
Willis, who is concerned about funding cuts to education and mass deportations, said she has been to half a dozen protests since Trump took office. She plans to keep showing up.
"When I go home, there's another rally, I think next weekend that I'll be at," Willis said.
A grassroots-led effort
Many of the Saturday protests are part of a "day of action" organized by the 50501 Movement, which brands itself as a decentralized network. The name stands for 50 protests in 50 states and one movement — referring to the group's first nationwide protest at state capitols.
More than 800 local protests, teach-ins, and mutual aid efforts were planned for Saturday in response to what organizers say are "anti-democratic and illegal actions of the Trump administration."
The White House did not respond to NPR's request for comment.
The 50501 Movement, which has orchestrated protests since early February, is one of several anti-Trump movements. The "Tesla Takedown" campaign is holding more than 100 protests this weekend, according to organizers. That group is protesting Tesla CEO Elon Musk's influential role in the Trump administration.
Hunter Dunn, the national press coordinator for the 50501 Movement, says that Tesla Takedown rallies and other similar efforts are part of the same decentralized movement. The sprawling effort encompasses any protest guided by four tenets, according to Dunn.
"We're pro-democracy, we're in favor of preserving the Constitution, we're against executive overreach, and we're non-violent," he said.
While the "Hands Off!" rallies on April 5 were billed as a day of protests, Saturday broadened the resistance effort to include community-focused events.
"It's all about actions that support your community against the Trump administration — strengthening your community so that they can weather these assaults on democracy," Dunn said.
In Southern California, for example, food drives were planned to support people who continue to struggle in the wake of the January wildfires as well as those who may be affected by the rising price of goods amid President Trump's tariffs.
"Resistance is about more than just protesting," Dunn said. "It's about strengthening your community so that they can weather these assaults on democracy, and so that they can get ready to make a better future for everyone."
The 50501 campaign says it has quickly built momentum since its first call to action. For its nationwide protest on Feb. 5, the organization estimates there were about 80 protests in 88 cities.
Likewise, as the Tesla Takedown protests enter their 11th week, organizers say momentum hasn't slowed and they have consistently seen about 150 actions globally each week.
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