Activists gather in Richmond for third wave of 50501 protests against Trump policies
A growing group of protesters gathered outside Richmond City Hall on Tuesday for the third installment of 50501 protests.
The 50501 Movement, a nationwide protest against President Donald Trump’s policies and executive orders, will see demonstrations in all 50 states. The movement, which is also known as “50 states, 50 protests, one day,” has gained momentum through social media and grassroots organizing.
Tuesday’s protests mark the third wave of 50501 protests in 2025, with the first occurring on February 5 and the second on Presidents Day, February 17.
Nearly 40 participants gathered in a circle in the Richmond Civic Center Plaza and addressed a range of topics, including U.S. foreign aid, economic inequality, and the erosion of democratic institutions.
Soren Hemmila
Former Richmond Librarian Tarnel Abbott said the issue extends beyond a single country or leader.
“What I’m thinking about now is that the same greedy billionaires who want to gobble up our tax dollars — displacing workers and depriving us of services — are the same ones who seek to control resources around the world, from Ukraine to Gaza,” Abbott said. “It’s not a simple thing because it’s easier just to say we’re resisting Trump or — what’s his name — the AI Doge guy, the non-human running our country. But it’s deeper than that, and it’s around the world.”
Abbott also honored Aaron Bushnell, who set himself on fire a year ago in protest.
“He was no longer willing to be complicit in genocide,” she said.
Richmond resident Inge Hinrichs expressed her frustration, motivating her to join the protest. She felt compelled to take further action despite having written to her senator and congressional representative.
"I felt helpless. I felt there wasn't anything I could do," Hinrichs said.
Hinrichs said she is frustrated because Congress isn't doing enough to prevent the president from doing things that are not within his purview.
"He's already set himself up where he cannot be prosecuted for anything that he does," Hinrichs said. "Which makes me nuts. There's no bite to any of the injunctions that have been made. There's no enforcement of the injunctions."
Hinrichs explained her frustration, saying that if protests were held every day, she would I'd probably go too.
"I can't find a way to express how ticked off I am, except yelling at my television," Hinrichs said.
Former Richmond City Councilmember Melvin Willis, who attended the protest, spoke about the urgency of civic engagement in uncertain times.
“These are unprecedented times,” Willis said. “Every single one of us is looking at our neighbors, wondering how they’re going to be impacted.”
Willis said many people he spoke with after the 2024 election had sacrificed a great deal trying to prevent the outcome and were now taking time to recover.
“I’m just figuring out where I can plug in, where I can fight, where I can step up and just hold the line and make sure that I’m living my life as we’re making sure that other communities have an opportunity to stay engaged,” Willis said.
Willis pointed to a Richmond City Council proposal to allocate $1 million in funds toward legal services, urging residents to support it.
Soren Hemmila
“That’s how a lot of us can show up and speak out and support when seeing the community being attacked. It’s going to be important to be active and support one another,” Willis said.
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