‘No kings on Presidents Day’: Protesters rage across nation against Trump and Musk
Demonstrators hit the streets to tear into dismantling of federal government
Protesters in cities across America slammed President Donald Trump and Elon Musk to mark Presidents Day Monday in the wake of the DOGE dismantling of federal agencies.
Activists, largely organized by the 50501 Movement and various branches of Indivisible, were honoring “Not my Presidents Day.” Demonstrators chanted “no kings on Presidents Day” to protest the power grab by Trump and his billionaire hatchet man Elon Musk, who’s dismantling the federal government as head of the Department of Government Efficiency.
Protesters gathered at various city halls, state capitols and outside Tesla showrooms packed with Musk-made cars.
A sign in an office window above a Tesla dealership in San Francisco informed protesters about Musk: “We hate him too.”
One protester outside wearing a Musk mask flashed a “sieg heil” Nazi salute similar to the salute the tech billionaire used during a speech hailing Trump’s inauguration last month.
Protesters waving signs calling for “No Kings” and “Resist Fascism” attempted to enter the Arizona Statehouse in Phoenix to oppose a bill that would dedicate local law enforcement to hard-charging federal crackdown on immigrants.
One of the signs amid hundreds of protesters in Washington, D.C urged: “Deport Musk Dethrone Trump.”
More than 1,000 people gathered in the snow in frigid temperatures at the Massachusetts State House at the Boston Commons before marching to City Hall, chanting: “Elon Musk has got to go,” WCVB-TV reported.
Boston protesters, some dressed in Revolutionary War-style clothing, carried signs railing: “This is a Coup” and “Cowards Bow to Trump, Patriots Stand Up.”
One banner featured Uncle Sam saying: “I Want You to Resist.”
“I thought it was important to be here on Presidents Day to demonstrate what America stands for,” Emily Manning, a Boston engineer who came to the rally with her two teenage sons, told The Associated Press.
“American values are not the values of the plutocracy or the limited few rich people,” she added.
Protesters also gathered at the State House in Jackson, Mississippi. Several told WJTV they’re alarmed by Trump and Musk’s efforts to reduce the role of the federal government and threats to Social Security and other benefits.
“Lots of regular people who voted for Trump and have now, for example, lost their jobs or lost their benefits are realizing that, ‘Oh, I didn’t realize that was what I was voting for,’” protester James Bowley told WJTV.
“Trump said on the very first day he would become president that food prices would go down. Of course, that didn’t happen. It was a big lie just to get a lot of people to vote for him,” he added.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
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