Protests against Trump 02 decisions —AP

AP WASHINGTON

Demonstrators gathered in cities across the US on Wednesday to protest the Trump administration's early actions, decrying everything from the President's immigration crackdown to his rollback of transgender rights and a proposal to forcibly transfer Palestinians from the Gaza Strip.

Protesters in Philadelphia and at state capitols in California, Minnesota, Michigan, Texas, Wisconsin, Indiana and beyond waved signs denouncing President Donald Trump; billionaire Elon Musk, the leader of Trump's new Department of Government Efficiency; and Project 2025, a hard-right playbook for American government and society.

The protests were a result of a movement that has organized online under the hashtags #buildtheresistance and #50501, which stands for 50 protests, 50 states, one day. Websites and accounts across social media issued calls for action, with messages such as "reject fascism" and "defend our democracy." 

Outside the state Capitol in Lansing, Michigan, a crowd of hundreds gathered in freezing temperatures. Catie Miglietti, from the Ann Arbor area, said Musk's access to Treasury Department data was especially concerning. "If we don't stop it and get Congress to do something, it's an attack on democracy," Miglietti said.

Demonstrations in several cities piled criticism on Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency. "DOGE is not legit," read one poster on the state Capitol steps in Jefferson City, Missouri, where dozens of protesters gathered. "Why does Elon have your Social Security info???"  Members of Congress have expressed concern that DOGE's involvement with the US government payment system could lead to security risks or missed payments for programmes  such as Social Security and Medicare. 

A Treasury Department official said  a tech executive working with DOGE will have "read-only access”. Demonstrators strode through downtown Austin, Texas. They assembled in Atlanta's Centennial Olympic Park for a march to Georgia's state Capitol and gathered outside California's Democratic-dominated Legislature in Sacramento.

In Denver, protests coincided with nearby operations by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and an unspecified number of people detained. Protesters in Phoenix chanted "deport Elon" and "no hate, no fear, immigrants are welcome here”."  Thousands protested in St. Paul, Minnesota, where 28-year-old Hallie Parten carried a Democratic presidential campaign sign, revised to read "Harris Walz Were Right." "Fear for what is going to happen to our country if we don't all just do something about it," Parten said.