2000 people march through Providence in protest of Trump Administration as part of a nationwide 50501 action

“We’ve got to get this regime out of here. They don’t care about any of you people in this audience. They care only for their billionaire friends and what they can gain for themselves."

Around 2000 people gathered on the south side of the Rhode Island State House on April 19th as part of a national Hands Off Our Rights protest against the Trump Administration’s unlawful actions. Organized by 50501, a grassroots organization formed in response to Trump’s early executive orders that sought to consolidate federal power into the hands of the President and diminish the rights of Americans, hundreds of similar actions took place in cities across the nation.

”We want you to tell this regime to go to hell,” said Lauren, a 50501 Rhode Island organizer who served as the emcee. “We’ve got to get this regime out of here. They don’t care about any of you people in this audience. They care only for their billionaire friends and what they can gain for themselves. Make no mistake: They don’t care about any of us. They just want to make money. We are expendable to them. They don’t care if we live or die, all they want is your money, and they’re trying to steal it from you.”

Local storyteller and author Mark Binder led the crowd in singing his song, “Tronald Dump’s a Fraud,” which can be found on Spotify here.

“The Providence General Assembly is an independent political project geared towards confronting fascism and building a free society through grassroots organizing,” said Mike King from the Providence General Assembly, which works on diverse issues such as immigrant solidarity, trans defense, defense of women’s bodily autonomy, mutual aid efforts, tenant and workplace organizing, anti-imperialist organizing, and organizing that addresses the unhoused crisis in Providence.

"All too often we put our faith in representatives that don’t represent, we put trust in half-measures that leave us two steps behind, we put faith in systems that were never built to serve us, we shrug off our ability to make change, we stay in our comfort zones, watch the world get darker, and let that darkness cast a shadow over our sense of political agency,” said King. “That’s why it’s important that we’re all here to say ‘No’ to the things we won’t stand for.”

“Did you know that most art supplies are imported from other places, like China?” asked Jenn, who for the last 16 years has run a small, art-based business in Rhode Island. “Trump’s tariffs and tax breaks for billionaires are a death sentence for small businesses like mine. Will my business make it through this? Only time will tell.

“What’s the worst that can happen, and can I live with that?” continued Jenn. “These are two questions I’ve been asking myself every day... Every time there’s an atrocity, don’t look away. I want you to get in the habit of asking yourself, 'What if?'

“What if it were your spouse who got disappeared or sent to a concentration camp in another country? What if it were your child who died from a preventable disease or could no longer access the services they need at school? What if it were your parents who lost Social Security, or no longer have Medicare or Medicaid, and couldn’t afford their life-saving medication?

“The reality is that even one person without security, safety, and stability, in the wealthiest country on earth, is one too many. One unhoused individual is one too many. One woman without autonomy over her body is one too many. One trans person unable to live their truth is one too many. One student, asylum seeker or American citizen who is kidnapped off the street and sent to a concentration camp without due process is one too many. One business that has to shut its doors due to Trump’s tax breaks for his billionaire friends is one too many. One college campus that is being threatened and bullied by these fascists is one of too many. One person who can’t get the coverage they need because insurance companies prioritize profits over people is one too many.”

“We stand here today because we are fighting for democracy,” said Saja, from the Party for Socialism and Liberation. “We believe that democracy must come from the power of the people, and Trump and the billionaires are currently doing everything in their power to crush the power of the people.

“Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and the rest of the billionaires and millionaires running the administration are trying to destroy our most basic rights. They want to shred every program created to serve the common good and help working people - like you and I - survive. They are waging war on civil rights and free speech, using every tool in their arsenal to bully and intimidate their opponents into silence.

“We will not stand for that.

“Mass deportations that violate due process, the detention of Mahmoud Khalil and a growing number of students who speak up for Palestine, and the racist DEI witchhunt, are just the tip of the iceberg.”

After the first round of speakers, the protesters marched through the city, passing Kennedy Plaza and returning to the State House.

“To the people in the audience who had a problem with us mentioning the word ‘socialism,’ let me just make it very clear,” said Lauren, as the marchers returned. “There are a lot of words flying out around there, okay? The bottom line is we are here as United States citizens and people who want to be United States citizens. We are here to fight for our democracy. Many changes need to be made to this system, and we will fight for every one of us to change it. That’s going to look very different to some people. But guess what? We still need to come together and work together. So let’s not get hung up on words, okay? Let’s get hung up on ideas. Let’s get hung up on freedom for all. Let’s get hung up on freedom of speech and return to making this a nation that welcomes people who want opportunity.

“Let’s get back to education and strengthening our education systems so that our young people can learn about the truth of our history. Let’s get hung up on that. Let’s get hung up on, I don’t know, liberation. Let’s get hung up on justice and fighting the injustice of this authoritarian regime that is trying to take over our country right now and tell us who can stay and who can go and what we can say and what we can do and how much we can earn and what our education is going to be. That’s what we are here to fight for.”

“I’m up here before you all as an organizer and volunteer with the recently established Neighborhood Deportation Defense Network,” said Gabriel. “We’re a coalition of volunteers and organizers anchored by a number of different organizations, but primarily anchored by the Party for Socialism and Liberation here in Rhode Island, the Olneyville Neighborhood Association (ONA), and the Alliance to Mobilize Our Resistance (AMOR). Plain and simple, we’re fighting for the rights of everyday working people regardless of legal status.

“Since February, we’ve onboarded dozens of volunteers. We’ve passed out thousands of flyers. We’ve done countless hours of community outreach across Providence and sent verifiers to dozens of ICE and DHS sightings. In fact, we have sent verifiers to every single inkling of any sign of ICE in our communities.

“Who benefits from mass deportations? It ain’t me, and I don’t think it’s any of you. That’s why you’re out here. Those who profit from mass incarceration and deportations are private, for-profit prisons run by corporations, and these corporations get government contracts. That means it’s our money.

“It’s disgusting. We can look around here: We see our apartments and bridges falling down. We need that money here to fix what’s ours. Not going to war, not going to deportations, and not going to incarceration.

“That will change. That will change once the people get organized and start demanding a better society and a better world. But we’re only going to win what we demand, and we’re only going to be able to demand when we’re organized. I mentioned three organizations today. A number of organizations have come together to make this action happen. Get involved. I don’t mean in an abstract way. I mean, become a member in good standing in one of these organizations. As much as we’d love to do things independently, we know we are only one. But when we all come together, we become much stronger.”

“As an introvert, I never thought I could stand in front of so many people, but today I refuse to stay quiet,” said Reina, a volunteer and organizer with 50501 Rhode Island. “We, the people, stand today at a crossroads. Our nation, founded on ideals of freedom, equality, and justice, still carries the heavy legacy of systemic racism and oppression. This isn’t just about history—it’s about the present, where Black, Indigenous, and people of color still face deep-rooted injustices across every facet of life. Donald Trump and the oligarchs are proof that when we are silent about the deep-rooted oppression and racism in this country, it will eventually impact all of us.

“In education, students of color still confront unequal resources and opportunities. Our criminal justice system disproportionately targets communities of color, tearing apart families and futures. Healthcare disparities persist, resulting in lost lives and diminished dreams. Housing discrimination continues to segregate and impoverish communities, while economic opportunities remain unequal, perpetuating cycles of poverty and systemic oppression. Time and time again, many people have been screaming and warning us about these injustices. Still, our silence allowed for racism and oppression to grow like cancer, impacting all of us within our community. It was the silencing of the marginalized voices: LGBTQ+ people, black, Indigenous, people of color, the working class, and other minority groups that allowed the billionaires to take power in a government that is supposed to be for the people. This is the moment; this is our moment to hold hands in unity and demand that our elected officials listen to us. They are all part of a system that perpetuates billionaire rule and takes away the power from us, the people.

“We, the people, have the right to be heard and demand the power we have been denied for far too long.

“The 50501 Movement was born out of a need to fight executive overreach and the violation of our rights. As time passes, we recognize the need to listen, learn, and uplift marginalized voices targeted even more by this administration. 50501 nationally stands for justice, liberation, and dignity for everyone everywhere. We oppose authoritarianism, billionaire rule, and executive overreach. We stand against oppression, apartheid, genocide, and occupation. We stand with the people of Palestine, Congo, Ukraine, Sudan, Myanmar, and the people of the world. 50501 Rhode Island will continue to carry this message, stand with marginalized communities, and uplift their voices. We are nonpartisan and will hold all elected officials accountable, both those who are complicit and complacent. We demand accountability. We demand equity. We demand honest and meaningful change.

“Together, let’s stand up against racism, against systemic oppression, and all forms of authoritarianism. Our unity is our strength; our diversity is our power. The time to act is now.

“Thank you to everyone who joined us. Let’s be the change we want to see.”