President’s Day Protests Target Donald Trump, Elon Musk; Elected Dem Leaders Stay Away
Thousands of protestors marched from Union Square to Washington Square Park to voice their anger at Donald Trump’s administration and the many governmental changes under Elon Musk’s DOGE. No elected Democratic leaders turned out and young protestors were scarce.
| 17 Feb 2025 | 06:10
The front line of the marching protestors on President’s Day as they made their way from Union Square to Washington Square Park on Feb. 17. (
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On a cold day of protest, grey-haired baby boomers far outnumbered twenty somethings. (
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One of the hundreds of marching protestors in Union Square on Feb. 17 carrying a sign reading “DEFEND THE CONSTITUTION.” (
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Musicians in Union Square provide music and a marching beat for the protestors in New York City, part of the larger #50501 and #BuildTheResistance movements protesting throughout the country. (
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Protestors gather beneath the arch in Washington Square Park, chanting slogans to the sound of horns and drums. (
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A protestor in Washington Square Park with a sign reading, “President’s Day Not Dictator’s Day.” (
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A protestor in Union Square with a sign reading “Shame!” beneath a crying image of the Statue of Liberty. The sentiment of anger and frustration towards Donald Trump’s administration and Elon Musk’s policy changes was strongly felt among the many hundreds of protestors. (
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A crowed estimated at 1,000 people turned out to protest Elon Musk and Donald Trump policies. (
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Bitter cold temperatures did not stop a crowd estimated to be about 1,000 people from marching from Union Sq. to Washington Square. (
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A cold day with gale warning in effect did not deter thousands of New Yorkers from pouring into Union Square armed with signs and slogans protesting on President’s Day against President Donald Trump, Project 2025, and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) head, billionaire Elon Musk.
Elected Democratic leaders were conspicuous by their absence. And young people who had marched and protested last spring for Palestine, were largely absent from the throngs on Feb. 17.
Once assembled in Union Square, the protest marched down Fourth Avenue, working its way to Washington Square Park. Chants of “Hey, hey! Ho-ho! Elon Musk has got to go,” and “No Trump, No KKK, No fascist USA” broke out among the crowd. One anti-Musk protestor called out “The sooner he goes to Mars, the better!” Police and journalists led, flanked, and followed up the many-hundreds strong mass, though community leaders and elected Democratic politicians were nowhere to be seen. Some reports that up 10,000 people participated in the protest.
Protestors carried handmade signs, with slogans like “No Kings,” “Stop the Coup,” and “No Dictators in the USA.”
The protest is one of many nationwide protests, a part of the larger #50501 and #BuildTheResistance movements. The #50501 movement, born on Reddit earlier this year, calls for “50 protests, 50 states, 1 day,” according to a slogan on Build the Resistance’s website. Protests have occurred today in Seattle, Washington, D.C., Miami, Dallas, and Phoenix, among dozens of other cities.
Scattered cries of “We, the people, defend the Constitution” sounded as the march neared Washington Square Park. The area quickly filled up with protestors and members of the group Refuse Fascism began speaking over a small PA system, even as the majority of the marchers had not made it to the park.
“Now is the time to rise up and get organized,” a Refuse Fascism member and podcast host named Sam yelled into the microphone. She then led the gathered crowd in chants of “Trump must go” and had the protestors swear an oath of resistance to the beating of marching drums: “No, no! In the name of humanity! In the name of humanity, we refuse! We refuse to accept a fascist America! The Trump fascist regime must go! Must go!”
The majority of the protestors assembled in Washington Square Park were not the students at NYU, but were mostly made of older New Yorkers.
“We need more young people out here,” said Kate, a school teacher from Brooklyn. She, like many others in attendance, found out about the event on Facebook. A few in the crowd found news of the protest on platforms like Bluesky and Threads, but reported that it was nowhere to be found on Instagram, one of the most popular apps for young people.
Former NYU students, Gustave and Georgia, wandered into the protest. “We were just walking by,” said Georgia. Neither was surprised to see more of the aging baby boomers than Gen Z in the crowd. “It just doesn’t seem like they [younger people] would come out specifically for this event. I can’t speak for all young people, but I didn’t know exactly what the protest was for.”
Mike, an Air Force veteran from Brooklyn, had a personal reason to be out in the cold. He had an employment opportunity at the Veterans Administration rescinded two weeks prior as part of Trump and Musk’s probationary governmental job cuts. A friend of his was fired from his job at USAID. “It’s a (mess),” he says bluntly. “As far as the cold goes, what’s coming is worse than the weather.”
Still, there were younger protestors to be found who appreciated the support from the older crowd. “I think it’s actually awesome to see people stand up for what they fought for in history,” said Rosario, a graphic designer who works on Broadway. “They’re making sure their work isn’t going unnoticed or being disregarded.” He and his companion, Elanor, sought out the event online. “I think there aren’t a lot of young people here,” said Elanor, “Because it wasn’t circulated on the platforms we use.”
They, just like many others, were unbothered by the cold. “Some things are more important than being warm,” said Rosario.