PHOENIX — Advocates gathered across the country, including in Phoenix, on Monday to protest President Trump's sweeping number of executive orders since taking office last month.
The 50501 Movement- which stands for 50 protests, 50 states, one movement- formed on the social media platform Reddit and now has over 100,000 supporters on the page.
Hundreds of people gathered at the Arizona State Capitol on Presidents Day.
"We refuse to accept that money should hold the power to undermine the fundamental rights we cherish as Americans," the group said in a statement on their website. The group is calling for change after a number of orders were signed by President Trump, alongside billionaire Elon Musk, including the firing of thousands of federal workers.
The Trump administration says there are too many federal employees and that a reduction in the workforce is necessary to make it more efficient.
Protesters briefly tried to enter the Senate, where a hearing on a bill that would require counties to cooperate with ICE was set to begin.
— Rachel Louise Just (@RLJnews) February 17, 2025
Hearing was supposed to start at 1:30 but no senators have arrived.
Doors of the Senate are now locked, but security is letting people in. https://t.co/K5inrD9ftT
Protesters said they are concerned with @elonmusk and what they believe is too much power in his role heading @DOGE -- concerns about LGBTQ rights, fears there will be another civil war. A young protester on the spectrum said he is worried about special education funding @abc15 pic.twitter.com/Q20jNXiusF
— Ben Brown (@bdbrown473) February 17, 2025
