Hundreds gather outside Rhode Island State House to protest Trump/Musk

"We are in unprecedented times. Our way of life is at stake, and we are here, and we’ll remain here, to fight for our democracy!"

Over 500 people gathered on the north side of the Rhode Island State House on President’s Day as part of a nationwide series of protests against the unlawful and unconstitutional action of President Donald Trump and Elon Musk. An unidentified woman with a bullhorn delivered the following speech in freezing, windy temperatures to cheers before the crowd marched the circumference of the State House grounds.

Here’s the video:

The transcript has been edited for clarity:

“Thank you, everybody, for coming today. Good afternoon, American citizens. Thank you for your bravery and courage for being here today. We are in unprecedented times. Our way of life is at stake, and we are here, and we’ll remain here, to fight for our democracy! We will continue to march because we are the people. We have the power!

“We are at war, but this war is different; it’s a war of misinformation, constitutional war, and war from within. It’s our obligation and privilege to fight! It’s our obligation to fight against the billionaire class that is attempting to destroy our democracy and replace it with a dictatorship. We have an obligation to educate those who have fallen prey to the lies of the widespread fraud in our institutions. We have an obligation to demand the truth. We have an obligation to demand transparency.

“We also have an obligation to educate those who have fallen for the deception. When you hear someone parroting a false narrative, engage them with truth and kindness. They have been fooled. They are our family, friends, and neighbors and should be treated with pity and kindness. It’s the only way to help them see they are being lied to because the truth is the sitting dictator and his tech bro are threatening our way of life, even those who have fallen prey to their lies.

“Let’s talk about what is happening. We know they are attacking our institutions to steal our money. We know they are dismantling our systems to steal our power and force us to get in line. The bigger picture is the tech bro has taken over our government and is getting it for his own gain. The dictator is the tech bro’s puppet, and he wants to make the United States his puppet, too. Make no mistake about it: Once our Republican brothers and sisters in our communities understand this fact, they’ll be joining us in the streets, so we must leave the door open to them because the ruling class knows the best way to win is to divide and conquer, and we will not fall for it.

“The end goal for them is to abolish our Constitution and remake this country into a dictatorship. They believe that democracy is obsolete and they do not need it to attain unchecked money and power. They are incorrect. Democracy is about the rule of law. They don’t want that. Democracy is run by the people. They don’t want us to have our power. The government is structured so that no branch can amass more power than another, and they don’t want that. They want the presidency to have all the power.

“Currently, the imposter calling himself President has shown nothing but contempt and disrespect for our Constitution and laws. But let those loyal to the Constitution know: We are fighting back. The people we elected are using the courts to fight against tyranny, but they cannot do it alone. What we are doing here today is where the power lies. The dictator wants you to be afraid to assemble in the streets and wants you to be overwhelmed with information and exhausted, and we will not abide!

“We will stay vigilant, remain strong, and protect the truth. We will protest and protect our Constitution. Executive Orders are not law, and we don’t recognize the dictator sitting in a seat he is unqualified and undeserving of. He and his lackeys are traitors to the country, and they should be treated as such. They should be arrested and marched through the streets to be held accountable by the people!

“So what’s next? What can we do? We continue to gather and show our power with numbers. We continue to rally and show up. We get involved by calling our Senators daily and writing emails and letters.

“We have a critical opportunity to flip the House. This is quite literally our only opportunity while our current system still stands. Our focus must be to regain the majority in the House and the Senate. It is vital for our existence as the nation we know and our rule of law. We’re not alone. We have allies in our elected officials, we have allies in those here with us today, and we have allies around the world.

“There are three seats up for grabs in the House - two in Florida and one in New York. We have less than two months to make it happen. Joshua Weil is the first one up for a seat in Congress - the 6th District in Florida. Joshua Weil is the only Democrat running against Republicans. He is going to need our help, ifhe’ss going to win. Please donate to his campaign, write letters to his constituents or our Senators, and tell the Democrats to support Joshua Weil. You may not think it’s impactful, but it is. We have three seats, guys, three seats.

“The other two: District One in Florida, Gay Valimont, and finally, Blake Gendebien in the 21st District in New York. We must flip the House!

“Stop watching mainstream media. Find out if it has been fact-checked. NPR and PBS are essential to our connection to reality, but there are others. I need all of you to find those outlets of truth. We are in this together, and we are allowed to experience joy despite our situation. Joy is a form of rebellion. Find your joy and happiness in this time. Create, sing, dance, and laugh. Through joy, we become stronger. Theydon’tt want us to be strong. They want us to be defeated.

“To do this, we need to narrow our focus on getting those seats flipped. November 3rd, 2026, is when the Senate races begin. We hold our midterms. We must elect Senators who will uphold our Constitution and not cower to a cult leader. The work starts now. The current administration is filled to the brim with corrupt cowards. They need to be removed.

“250 years ago, back on April 19th, 1775, marked the first day of the American Revolution. If they want another one, we’ll give it to them. I know this sounds radical, but what they are doing to our nation is a declaration of war. A war on the American people and our Constitution.

“We are not afraid of the elites and those who hide their racism behind religion. I am angry that they have the audacity to think that we will sit idly by while they dismantle the laws that protect We the People.

“January 6th was a horrible day in our history that took place to keep one person in office. We need an April 19th, not for one person, but for all the people to defend our Constitution and our country. Perhaps it is time to stop playing by the rules because the Republicans are not!”