Chants and car horns filled the streets of downtown Richmond, Va. as hundreds of demonstrators took to the state Capitol Square to express their disapproval of President Donald Trump’s administration on Saturday, April 19.
Protesters gathered at the state capitol’s bell tower. When the bell rang at noon, speakers, including Richmond City School Board member Ali Faruk, addressed the crowd. The speakers led the crowd with calls including asking the Trump administration to take its “hands off” social programs and chants of “Trump must go.”
The event was organized by 50501 Virginia as part of a national movement which seeks to demonstrate with “50 protests. 50 states. 1 day,” according to its website. This weekend’s demonstration was titled “Freedom Rising” and encouraged its attendees to “continue the revolution,” according to its flyer. 50501 Virginia co-hosted a similar rally at the state capitol earlier this month.
Sitting just above the heads of the demonstrators, protesters brought a variety of signs, ranging from signs alluding to “The Handmaid’s Tale” and others calling for the impeachment of Trump. According to the 50501 movement, just like the signs, the protest addresses a lengthy list of topics, including protecting social security, immigration and access to healthcare for people who are transgender.
Many signs also included messages asking to free Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a man who was mistakenly deported to El Salvador last month amid the Trump administration’s crackdown on immigration.
Joy Doukas, a librarian at the Chesterfield County Public Library and Jessi Shontz, a library instructor in the Hampton City public school system, came to the demonstration to protest the Trump administration’s actions on library funding.
“They’re trying to take away the funding for libraries,” Doukas said. “What the libraries do is so important to everyone.”
Doukas said that library services are vital for underfunded communities, including computer services, help with forms requiring certification and programs that help homeless people.
Shontz, who works at a Title I school, was concerned about the Trump administration’s efforts to cut the budgets of schools with diversity, equity and inclusion programs.
“A lot of our books fall under that,” Shontz said. “When you cut [the] school budget the first thing they cut is library services.”
Shontz said that many basic resources for students like tutoring, clubs and preparation for job interviews are now at risk of being cut.
Deborah Cohen is a business analyst from Midlothian, Va. and participated in other 50501 Virginia demonstrations.
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“I have a deep deep concern about the directions in which the fascists have taken this country,” Cohen said. “And I’m out here with my fellow citizens to stand up and say ‘we will not allow fascists to run this country.’”
Cohen studied history in college and said that she sees similarities between Germany’s fall into fascism before World War II and the world leaders of today.
“The fascists today are using the same playbook,” Cohen said. “They intend global enslavement of all people.”
Cohen said she plans to take a stand and be counted among those who are pushing back against the current administration.
“We Americans in particular, because we’ve been so committed to democracy,” Cohen said. “We have a special duty to stand up and fight this on behalf of all people across the globe.”
Jim Hamlin from Prince George County, Va. is a U.S. Navy veteran who served for 21 years and stood with a sign near the back of the crowd.
“I’m disgusted by what’s happening,” Hamlin said. “There’s a right way and a wrong way to do things.”
Hamlin said that the U.S. is on the wrong side right now and should follow the “rule of law.” He also said that he appreciated the number of people in attendance at the demonstration.
“The fact that a lot of people have come out on this weekend when they will have family in town or typically other plans, to make their voices heard,” Hamlin said. “It’s significant.”
Contact editor-in-chief Nick Mossman at nick.mossman@richmond.edu
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