Monday, February 17, 2025

Progressive Organizers Ready Nationwide "Not My Presidents' Day" Protests

"We the people will not live under a king," said one progressive organizer. "We will not allow Trump and Musk's administrative coup."



The 50501 Movement holds a protest at the Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul, Minnesota on February 5, 2025.
(Photo: Michael Siluk/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

Julia Conley
Feb 14, 2025
COMMON DREAMS

Organizers of nationwide protests planned for Monday, when the U.S. will mark Presidents' Day, appealed to those who oppose President Donald Trump and billionaire tech mogul Elon Musk's agenda with a simple message ahead of the actions: "All are welcome. You are not alone. Defend equality. Fight fascism."

The call for defenders of democracy to gather with like-minded people comes nearly four weeks into the Trump administration's "flood the zone" strategy, aimed at overwhelming its political opponents with a relentless flow of executive orders, attacks on long-held constitutional rights, and the attempted takeover of agencies across the federal government.

"In unity, we find our power; in protecting one another, we build our movement," said the 50501 Movement—whose name stands for 50 states, 50 protests, one day—after organizing nationwide rallies against Trump and Musk earlier this month. "Let's stay vigilant, compassionate, and strong as we work towards a brighter, more just future."

The second nationwide protest day is titled "Not My Presidents' Day," with attendees rejecting Project 2025, the right-wing policy agenda whose proposals have been well-represented by the administration's actions so far; Musk's takeover of agencies including the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the U.S. Agency for International Development through the executive order-created Department of Government Efficiency; and Trump's appointment of Cabinet members with numerous corporate ties and conflicts of interest, despite the president's campaign last year focusing partly on the high cost of living for working people.

"We the people will not live under a king," said progressive organizer Kai Newkirk. "We will not allow Trump and Musk's administrative coup."





On February 5, said the 505051 Movement, "grassroots organizers—without any budget, centralized structure, or official backing—pulled off over 80 peaceful protests in all 50 states."

"The protests were covered by every major media outlet, showing the world that the American working class will not sit idly by as plutocrats rip apart their democratic institutions and civil liberties while undermining the rule of law," said the group, which partnered with the organization Political Revolution to organize the demonstrations.

More than 75 protests have been scheduled for Monday so far, with a number of events planned at state Capitols.


A representative for the 50501 Movement, which grew out of a discussion on the social media platform Reddit, toldNewsweek that the group is pushing Not My Presidents' Day "as more of a 'day of action,' which would include email and phone banking, participating in volunteer activities that directly help those affected by Trump's policies, donating to charities, etc. There will still primarily be protests, though."

The organizers are also planning other nationwide protests in the future, with some supporters discussing another public action on March 5, according to Newsweek.


"This movement is about more than just one day—it's about standing firm in our beliefs and seeing it through, no matter the challenges we may face," organizers said in a social media post.


As GOP Pushes Tax Giveaways for the Rich, Sanders Launches 'National Tour to Fight Oligarchy'


"Today, the oligarchs and the billionaire class are getting richer and richer and have more and more power," the senator said. "This country belongs to all of us, not just the few. We must fight back."


Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) speaks at a rally led by the National Education Association (NEA) outside of the U.S. Capitol on February 12, 2025.
(Photo by Celal Güne/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Julia Conley
Feb 13, 2025
COMMON DREAMS



As Republicans in Congress and the Trump administration scour the federal public services infrastructure looking for cuts to healthcare, food assistance, and consumer protections that could offset the $4.6 trillion deficit hole the GOP is intent on creating by extending tax cuts for the rich, U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders is preparing for a "National Tour to Fight Oligarchy."

With Americans inundated with news about Trump's billionaire megadonor, Tesla CEO Elon Musk, ransacking federal agencies through the Department of Government Efficiency—and little to no news about President Donald Trump's supposed plans to reduce the cost of living—Sanders (I-Vt.) is intent on speaking directly to voters during his nationwide town hall tour, titled, "Fighting Oligarchy: Where We Go From Here."

The senator, who garnered support from working-class Americans and young voters during his Democratic presidential runs in 2016 and 2020, will kick off the tour with stops in Omaha, Nebraska on February 21 and Iowa City, Iowa on February 22.

The first stop lies in the House district represented by Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.), who this week expressed some hesitation about voting for a GOP budget proposal that could include steep spending cuts, including potentially to Medicaid. Bacon's district was carried by former President Joe Biden in 2020 and former Vice President Kamala Harris in 2024.

A Sanders aide toldPolitico that the senator aims to influence the Republicans' fight over the budget, which has reportedly made some GOP members of the House, where the party holds a slim majority, uneasy about backlash from voters in upcoming elections in 2026 and 2028.

As Common Dreamsreported on Tuesday, a recent poll by progressive think tank Data for Progress showed voters from across the political spectrum don't want lawmakers to make cuts to federal student loans, Medicare, Medicaid, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or renewable energy programs—all of which the GOP has eyed as it aims to do the bidding of wealthy donors and extend the 2017 tax cuts which primarily benefited the country's top earners.

In a statement, Sanders on Wednesday said his town hall tour will help Americans make sense of how they "can fight back against President Trump and Elon Musk," who are "quickly moving the country toward authoritarianism, oligarchy, and kleptocracy."

"Today, the oligarchs and the billionaire class are getting richer and richer and have more and more power," Sanders said. "Meanwhile, 60% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck and most of our people are struggling to pay for healthcare, childcare, and housing. This country belongs to all of us, not just the few. We must fight back."

Allies of the progressive senator said his direct engagement with voters is also likely a response to Democratic leaders' approach to the first weeks of Trump's second term in office. While Democratic lawmakers have spoken out against Musk's attempted takeover of federal agencies and some have pushed for strategic opposition to the Trump agenda, leaders in the party complained in a closed-door meeting this week about progressive advocacy groups that have urged the Democrats to act as a genuine, cohesive opposition party.

In a press conference this week, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) appeared perplexed by the idea that Democrats should try to counter Trump's agenda, saying Republicans control both chambers of Congress and the White House, and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said the party is "not going to go after every single issue" as it fights the president.

Last week, Jeffries garnered scorn for meeting with more than 150 donors in Silicon Valley in an effort to "mend fences" as numerous high-profile tech executives have aligned themselves with Trump.



The House leader also appeared unmoved by "The Weekly Show" host Jon Stewart's suggestion in an interview this week that the Democrats have "gotten away from New Deal values" and should focus on pushing for policies that help the working class rather than simply improving "messaging."




Anna Bahr, a spokesperson for Sanders, told Politico that "it may be hard to believe, but at least one person in Washington is more interested in talking with working-class people than running for office or fundraising."


"Sen. Sanders is doing what he has always done: meeting people all over the country to discuss our failed healthcare system, housing crisis, and the wealth and income inequality that is only intensifying," said Bahr.

Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), who co-chaired the senator's 2020 presidential campaign, told the outlet that the Democratic Party needs Sanders "in strategic states making the case to define the future of our party for the next 20 years."


"Sen. Sanders has been a prophet for where the Democratic Party needs to go in standing up for working-class Americans," said Khanna, "and opposing the unholy alliance of wealth and power."

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