“Don’t buy swasticars”: Tensor protests across states on Feb. 5, 2017, the day after Trump’s inauguration

The previous protest took place at the New York showroom of the electric car company, which was why today was a bigger rally. In the videos below, people can be heard chanting, “Don’t buy swasticars” and “Elon Musk can go to Mars; we don’t need your Nazi cars,” perhaps referencing Musk’s support for far-right groups like Germany’s AfD party or his suspicious salute on Inauguration Day.

Organizers of the 50501 Movement provided details for protests in more than half of the states in the U.S. from California to Colorado to Tennessee, and Massachusetts, just to name a few.

Tesla investors have expressed concern that Musk’s activities are negatively impacting the company, which saw its stock price plummet by 21 percent since Trump’s inauguration according to an ABC story this week. The Washington Post reported that senior staff said in a recent meeting that the company would be better off if Musk resigned.

Similar gatherings were held in Austin, Texas; Seattle, Washington; and Boston, Massachusetts. Few seem to have showed up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Alex Winter, an actor, director, and activist, posted a photo of himself holding a sign urging people to sell their cars at a protest in Pasadena, California.

The ideal time to hold the protests is on a day when we celebrate U.S. presidents.

The idea for a day of protest in each state originated on Reddit by a user named Evolved_Fungi in late January. The concept got traction on various social media platforms.

On Feb. 5, the first nationwide protest occurred. And while it did not attract the hundreds of thousands of protesters seen on Jan. 21, 2017 — the day after Trump’s first inauguration — hundreds of people participated across cities and at state capitals, including in Connecticut, Colorado and Hawaii. The organization estimates there were nearly 80 protests across 88 cities.

For the next wave of protests, set to take place on Monday at state Capitols again and in Washington, D.C., Wilson says they expect a similar turnout, if not larger than the previous one. Their demands are not changing.

Protests against Elon Musk, Presidential Candidate Vought, and Project 2025: The Political Revolution Against Fascism

“We are still very much calling for the removal of Elon Musk. We find it very concerning that there is a non-government official that has the access that he does,” Wilson says. “And we would like to see the strengthening of anti-discrimination legislation.”

The group is also advocating for an investigation into Trump’s presidential appointees, especially those connected to Project 2025, such as Russell Vought, the architect of the conservative agenda.

The protests are being coordinated with Political Revolution, a group founded in 2016 after Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders’ — an independent who caucuses with Democrats — presidential campaign. The group consists of volunteers and leaders who “have been on the front lines of justice, marching in support of Black Lives Matter, women’s rights, LGBTQ+ advocacy, and disability rights,” the organization says.

The current administration is more focused on profits than they are on people. We as a collective refuse to stand by as they continue to undermine the dignity of our communities,” the group said in a statement. We are more than just numbers or consumers. We are the People. We are against fascists. We reject the oligarchy. We don’t believe that someone’s worth is less than someone else’s.

The protests and the 50501 movement have garnered substantial support across social media platforms, boasting more than 102,000 members on their Reddit page and more than 600,000 on Discord.

Additionally, Smart Girls, an organization founded by comedian and actress Amy Poehler and producer Meredith Walker, has promoted the upcoming protests.

Democratic lawmakers in the state and local area supported the protests. Several Michigan state House Democrats joined demonstrators in the state Capitol on February 5.

Colorado Public Radio estimates that more than 1,000 people took to the streets of Denver, braving the snow and holding signs that addressed a range of issues including women’s reproductive rights, LGBTQ rights and immigration.

Dozens of protesters gathered in the Iowa statehouse and yelled ” President Musk must go!” because of his involvement with the federal government, Iowa Local 5 News reported.

In the Northeast, despite freezing temperatures and fierce winds, hundreds of people gathered at Boston Common bundled in winter coats and beanies, according to social media. In New York and Connecticut, there were protests.

Protesters flooded statehouses, federal courts and other public spaces across the US, protesting against the Trump administration.

In Washington, D.C., the nation’s capital, thousands of people gathered at the Capitol Reflecting Pool chanting “Where is Congress?” and urging members of Congress to “do your job!” despite nearly 40-degree temperatures and 20-mile-per-hour wind gusts.

Potus Black is an activist in the D.C. chapter of the 50501 Movement who called on people to unite to defend the Constitution.

“To oppose tyranny is to stand behind democracy and remind our elected officials that we, the people, are who they’re elected to serve, not themselves,” Black said. The events over the last month have been built to break our wills. But we are the American people. We will not break.”

NPR: Defending President’s Day in Washington, D.C., and across the U.S. on Presidents Day

Attendees spoke with NPR about their anger over Musk’s actions and the fears of future executive orders. Musk’s team at the Department of Government Efficiency wanted to get access to Americans’ personal data through the IRS and other federal agency records, as well as the firing of park rangers.

Suzanne, a resident of Maryland, who requested that her last name be withheld because she fears retaliation against her family. She told NPR she attended the rally in support of her husband, a federal employee with a financial regulatory agency. She mentioned their worries about him potentially being laid off among thousands of others.

We are in a very tenuous financial situation because of it. Currently, his paychecks are going through, but we’re looking to Plan B as an alternative on how to support our family, our children,” she said. “But he and his co-workers are really motivated to stay together, to stand as a solid, solidified workers force.”

Anita Gilmore of Maryland expressed her concerns about her son’s federal healthcare coverage, which he relies on for medical treatment. She feels worried about what Robert F. Kennedy Jr. may do.

My son is on Medicaid because he has a life- threatening disease, and if I didn’t help him, he wouldn’t be here. [homeless] guys on the street,” Gilmore says.

Source: Thousands of people protest in Washington, D.C., and across the U.S. on Presidents Day

What Does Congress Really Need in the United States? A Democrat’s Viewpoint on the Problem of Trade-Offs and their Importance for the Future of Democracy

“I want Congress to grow a spine, as they’ve been saying,” Temple, a Democrat, said while holding a sign that read “Was the price of your eggs worth our Democracy?”‘

The changes that we expect are not going to be enough, according to Black. “We will allow the American people’s voice to be heard.”