By Stacy M. Brown
A sprawling coalition of activists remodeled July 4 right into a day of protest and civic motion, as demonstrators in all 50 states rallied in opposition to President Donald Trump’s second-term agenda.
Billed as “Free America Weekend,” the hassle was the most recent in a string of large-scale demonstrations, following June’s “No Kings Day” protests that drew crowds nationwide to reject what organizers described as Trump’s push towards authoritarian rule.
The nationwide protests had been a part of the 50501 Motion—named for the purpose of holding 50 protests in 50 states on the identical day. The motion emerged in late 2024 via grassroots organizing and rapidly gained momentum throughout social media platforms reminiscent of Instagram and Reddit. Organizers say the Fourth of July was a becoming second to spotlight what they’ve seen as threats to American democracy, pointing to Trump’s govt orders concentrating on immigrants, efforts to dismantle federal companies and the broader affect of Challenge 2025, a conservative coverage blueprint criticized for in search of to consolidate energy within the govt department.
“There isn’t any actual independence to have a good time below this administration,” the Ladies’s March declared in its name to motion for July 4. “That is our probability to face collectively and reclaim the that means of freedom.”
Greater than 170 occasions had been deliberate throughout the nation, starting from rallies at state capitals to dam events, dance protests, banner drops and group artwork tasks. In New York, protests had been scheduled each on the state Capitol in Albany and at New York Metropolis Corridor. Different main gatherings happened on the California and Texas State Capitols and in cities together with Philadelphia, Tampa and Tallahassee.
The Ladies’s March web site inspired members to host neighborhood occasions and create areas the place individuals “who aren’t going to return to a protest can nonetheless dream about freedom with sizzling canine and veggie burgers.”
Organizers stated the mix of celebration and dissent displays their conviction that resisting Trump’s insurance policies and constructing group go hand in hand. Along with “No Kings Day,” activists have staged quite a few demonstrations over the previous yr condemning what they describe as systemic assaults on civil liberties and democratic norms. Free America Weekend was meant to unify these efforts right into a single, coordinated present of resistance.
Whereas organizers emphasised nonviolence, some native teams reported receiving threats and harassment on-line.
In Illinois, protest leaders stated they secured permits to rally on the Capitol grounds to assist guarantee members’ security after threats from pro-Trump teams.
“This motion is about extra than simply at some point,” organizers wrote on-line. “It’s about standing agency in our beliefs and seeing it via, irrespective of the challenges we might face.”
This text was initially printed by Black Press USA.
