14:00 / 07.02.2025

The drastic decisions of the Trump administration caused protests (photo)

On January 20, 2025, upon assuming office as US President, Donald Trump signed a series of laws that caused a huge resonance both in the US and around the world. From the first day in the White House, Trump decided to limit the granting of US citizenship by place of birth (the court has already overturned this order), changed the rules for accepting migrants and granting asylum, initiated the US withdrawal from the World Health Organization and the Paris Agreement on climate, and also stopped providing assistance through the Agency for International Development (USAID), which operates around the world.

In addition, Trump has announced his readiness to start a trade war with Canada, Mexico, and China, banned transgender athletes from competing in women's competitions, and stated that the US government recognizes only two genders - "male and female." The new US president's activism has spread beyond the country's borders, including his announcement that the US is ready to "take control" of the Gaza Strip.

The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), headed by SpaceX and Tesla founder Elon Musk and endowed with broad powers, is also showing its face.

In response, the "50501 Movement" (50 demonstrations, 50 states, one day) has emerged on social media, whose participants, using the hashtags #buildtheresistance and #50501, are calling on the people of the country to rise up to defend democracy, which is under threat from Trump and his administration. They say they are consistently implementing a plan developed by Trump's associates called "Project 2025." At the same time, CNN notes that Trump himself has repeatedly stated that he is not familiar with such a document.

Meduza has provided photos from the rallies held on February 5 as part of the "50501 Movement".

^{Protesters at the Minnesota State Capitol. One of them holds a sign that reads "Elon Musk is a terrible president." St. Paul, February 5, 2025
Nick Wosika / Icon SMI / ZUMA Press / Scanpix / LETA}

^{Protesters at the Washington State Capitol - Olympic. Among the signs are the following inscriptions: "Resist fascism," "America belongs to everyone," "Stop the coup. No one voted for Musk," and "NATO, save us."
Lindsey Wasson / AP / Scanpix / LETA}

^{A protester in New York City holds a sign reading "Eat The Rich" — a popular phrase among anarchists, leftists, and anti-capitalist movements. It can be translated as "Eat the Rich." February 5, 2025
Edna Leshowitz / ZUMA Press Wire / Scanpix / LETA}

^{A protester Los Angeles, California, February 5, 2025
David Swanson / Reuters / Scanpix / LETA}

^{“Stop dressing up racism as patriotism” and “Please help sell Teslas through trade-ins” are the slogans on the placards of protesters in Las Vegas. State of Nevada, February 5, 2025
John Locher / AP / Scanpix / LETA}

^{Protesters in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Matt Rourke / AP / Scanpix / LETA}

^{A protest in Trenton, the capital of New Jersey. "Democracy is not autocracy" is written on the poster on the right
Brian Branch Price / ZUMA Press Wire / Scanpix / LETA}