Protesters against President Trump and his policies braved frigid temperatures in parts of the U.S. Monday, shouting “No kings on Presidents Day” in East Coast cities and attempting to enter the Arizona Statehouse to oppose a bill that would bolster fast-changing federal immigration enforcement.
In Florida and California, local media outlets reported on hundreds of protesters carrying out “Not my Presidents Day” protests. The “No Kings” theme was orchestrated by the 50501 Movement and marked the second set of protests criss-crossing the nation in less than two weeks. A similar nationwide event on Feb. 5 drew participants in dozens of cities. Both sets of rallies denounced Mr. Trump and billionaire adviser Elon Musk, the head of the White House’s Department of Government Efficiency, known as DOGE, which the administration says is designed to slash federal spending.
Etienne Laurent / AP
Nearly 1,000 people marched in the snow from the Statehouse in Boston to City Hall, chanting “Elon Musk has got to go” and other slogans. The temperature was below freezing, with wind chills in the teens.
Boston protesters, some dressed in Revolutionary War-style clothing, carried signs saying such things as “This is a Coup” and “Cowards Bow to Trump, Patriots Stand Up.” One sign had a depiction of Uncle Sam saying “I Want You to Resist.”
“I thought it was important to be here on Presidents Day to demonstrate for what America stands for,” said Emily Manning, 55, a Boston engineer who came to the rally with her two teenage sons. “American values are not the values of the plutocracy or the limited few rich people.”
Organizers of Monday’s protests, which were focused on state capitals and major cities including Washington, D.C.; Orlando, Florida; and Seattle, said they were targeting “anti-democratic and illegal actions of the Trump administration and its plutocratic allies.”
One sign at the rally that attracted hundreds in the nation’s capital said, “Deport Musk Dethrone Trump.”
Eduardo Munoz / REUTERS
Many demonstrations were slated for cities where temperatures were well below freezing as a polar vortex worked its way across the country.
The rallies followed a series of executive orders from Mr. Trump and came just days after layoffs across federal agencies as part of an effort to reduce the government workforce.
In Phoenix, hundreds of protestors gathered in front of the Capitol carrying signs reading “No Kings” and “Resist Fascism.” Security barred protesters from entering the building after a few tried to get inside. Demonstrators were seeking access to a state Senate committee hearing on legislation that would require law enforcement officers across the state to support federal immigration policy.
Protest organizer December Archer said her goal was to keep the event civil. She quickly came between someone trying to enter the Statehouse and a security guard who pushed the protestor back through the doorway.
“We’re trying to make sure everything stays civil and stays respectable because again, we’re here to make a statement, not be the statement,” Archer said.
A Senate committee heard the measure in a packed room and it passed in a party-line vote, CBS Phoenix affiliate KPHO-TV reports.
The station quoted the bill’s sponsor, Senate President Warren Petersen, as saying that, “After the past four years of lawlessness at our border, it is imperative that every level of government supports efforts to safeguard our communities from the harms of illegal immigration. Arizona is a border state, and as such, we need to empower our sworn agents to enforce our laws and assist the Trump Administration’s efforts on this front.”
Critics say the measure, and several other anti-illegal immigration bills, promote racial profiling and family separation and waste taxpayer dollars.
“These types of bills are created and put forth to politicize with an issue of our humanity,” ex-state lawmaker Raquel Terán told KPHO. “That is the last priority of the voters in Arizona.”
Among many other cities, demonstrators turned out in Denver; Dallas; Annapolis, Maryland; Oakland and San Francisco; Los Angeles and Miami.
CBS News Miami reports that counter-demonstrations were held in support of Mr. Trump in West palm Beach, including a gathering outside Trump International Golf Club.
“50501,” which stands for “50 protests, 50 states, one day,” is a grassroots attempt to protest the policies and actions of the second Trump administration.
