On February 5, thousands of protesters gathered in major cities across the United States to protest the policies of the administration of US President Donald Trump.

The protests were the result of an online movement called 50501 – 50 protests in 50 states on the same day, according to ABC News.

The US trade deficit increased sharply in the month before Mr. Trump took office
The 50501 movement is being widely shared by protesters on social media sites through the hashtags #buildtheresistance and #50501, calling on Americans to “resist fascism”.

Protesters marched and gathered in major cities in states such as Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Columbia and Philadelphia to protest Mr. Trump’s policies in recent times. They held up banners with messages such as “Silence is violence”, “Protect democracy”, “Impeach Trump” and “Kill fascism”.

50501 protests against Trump’s policies are taking place in the US – Video source: AFP

Protesters also called for the rescue of the US Agency for International Development (USAID), and specifically targeted the actions of dissolving the agency and accessing government data by American billionaire Elon Musk in recent days.

“I wouldn’t be able to sleep peacefully if I didn’t participate and work for my community, especially with the current situation,” said Andy Cole, a student at the University of Vermont (USA), protesting in Montpellier City, told ABC News.

Protesters of the 50501 movement gathered in Los Angeles, California (USA) on February 5 – Photo: REUTERS

In the US capital Washington D.C., two protests near the Capitol also attracted hundreds of people carrying banners.

Protesters marched from the streets around the Capitol to the US Department of Labor building on Constitution Avenue – where officials from billionaire Musk’s DOGE (Doge) visited the same day.

In response to the incident, US Senator Tim Kaine said the Democratic Party plans to fight Mr. Trump’s policy changes by filing lawsuits in the courts, state legislatures and the US Congress, according to USA Today.

“Don’t just show up here. Put pressure on not just our congressmen but on everyone, every elected official,” US Senator Mark Warner declared.