A group called 50501 said the protests were a response to what it perceives as anti-democratic and illegal action by the federal government.
Hundreds of people gathered across California on Presidents’ Day, Feb. 17, to protest U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deportations under President Donald Trump.
The protests, dubbed “Not My Presidents Day” and “No Kings on President Day,” were spearheaded by the 50501 organization—a movement that organizes protests against the Trump administration across all 50 states. The name stands for “50 protests, 50 states, one movement.”
Demonstrations were held in Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Sacramento, and other California cities.
Los Angeles County protesters gathered at the steps of L.A. City Hall on Monday, while another crowd gathered in
downtown Long Beach.
In San Francisco,
according to a KTVU reporter, protesters gathered outside a showroom for Tesla, the electric vehicle maker owned by Elon Musk, who currently heads the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
In Redding, 160 miles north of Sacramento, a few hundred protesters
gathered outside City Hall, according to organizers. In San Diego County, protests
spilled onto the roadway at the County Administration Center’s Waterfront Park in downtown San Diego on Monday morning. A protest was also held in
Carlsbad, about 35 miles north of downtown San Diego.
The 50501 group said the protests were a response to what it perceives as anti-democratic and illegal actions by the federal government.
“The current administration has clarified that it cares more about profit than people,” the group
said in a statement.
More rallies are planned. A Feb. 28 protest aims to pressure retailers who have scaled back on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies.
On his first day in office, President Donald Trump signed an
executive order aimed at ending “radical and wasteful government DEI programs and preferencing.”
“Americans deserve a government committed to serving every person with equal dignity and respect, and to expending precious taxpayer resources only on making America great,” the Jan. 20 order states.
Monday’s protests in Los Angeles marked the third week of demonstrations and were free of incidents. Earlier this month, protesters in Los Angeles
blocked traffic on the 101 Freeway, vandalized a car, and sprayed graffiti.
Los Angeles police also
arrested a 14-year-old boy on Feb. 11 in connection with the stabbing of another teen at a Feb. 7 protest over government policies to curb illegal immigration.
The Epoch Times reached out to the White House for comment but did not receive a response by publication time.
