Crowds gather in front of the California Capitol Building during the “50 States 50 Protests 1 Day” protest against Project 2025 and the policies of President Donald Trump in Sacramento, Calif. on Feb. 5.
Fred Greaves/AFP via Getty Images
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Fred Greaves/AFP via Getty Images
Protests are set to take place in several major cities across the U.S. on Monday, the Presidents Day holiday, according to activists.
These demonstrations are being organized by the 50501 Movement, which stands for “50 protests. 50 states. 1 movement.” The protests are a response to what organizers describe as “the anti-democratic and illegal actions of the Trump administration.” This marks the second nationwide protest by the group, following an event held on Feb. 5.
The protests follow a series of executive orders signed by President Trump, including actions led by billionaire Elon Musk, which have been criticized for their aims to diminish the role of the federal government.
Organizers like Sydney Wilson — a local organizer in Pittsburgh and national press liaison for 50501— tell NPR that holding the protests on a day dedicated to celebrating U.S. presidents is an ideal moment.
“We are going out and protesting because we are concerned by our current president’s actions,” Wilson says. “We figured it was a nice little punch.”
Here’s what you should know about the 50501 Movement and the protests on Presidents Day.
It started on Reddit
The idea for a day of protest in each state originated on Reddit by a user named Evolved_Fungi in…