Hundreds gathered outside the Connecticut state Capitol Wednesday for a catch-all protest against the policies and actions of the Trump administration.
The rally was organized by a group calling itself the 50501 Movement, which sought to stage protests at all 50 state capitols on Wednesday.
In Hartford, Alison Hird of Hamden held a sign reading “Fight Fascism”.
“Without a doubt, we are in the beginnings of the throes of fascism,” Hird said. “It’s not a threat anymore. It’s not a scare tactic. We are here.”
Hird cited efforts of Elon Musk and his newly-established Department of Government Efficiency to access sensitive data and gut federal agencies as one example of such a slide.
Gabriel Acker, also of Hamden, raised a sign emblazoned with the trans pride flag reading “What Is In My Pants Should Not Concern You!!!”
“I’m transgender,” Acker said. “My rights are at stake.”
Trump has signed a series of executive orders targeting transgender children and adults, including banning them from military service and prohibiting gender-affirming care for children and 18-year-olds.
“[Trump] seems like he’s kind of trying to erase us off the existence of the Earth,” Acker said. “That’s just not how things work. And there's so many more people like me that are scared to stand up, and I felt like it was just something I had to do, like it was an obligation” to attend the protest.
Mary Jane Reis, 58, of Wilton, said she had never attended a protest before Wednesday. She said potential impacts to her own family from actions of the administration drew her out.
“I have a daughter with disabilities,” Reis said. “She is almost 20 years old, going to community college, probably going to be able to get a job, and that's all because she the federal government mandated that her education be protected. And they want to close the Department of Education, which is the agency that's responsible for holding a floor for kids like ours.”
Trump campaigned on a promise to shutter the Department of Education.
“A lot of bad things are going to happen,” Reis said. “Wake up now, people, before it gets worse.”
‘We have to stand up’
Attendees had differing views on how they felt elected Democrats were responding to the White House’s actions.
“I think they need to start obstructing them more,” Reis said.
Hird said she felt the response “had been weak, but this last week, our Connecticut Congresspeople and senators have been really stepping up, and that’s what the base wants to see.”
“We want to see more fight. We don’t want to see any more compromising, because there is no compromising,” Hird said. “It’s not the old playbook anymore.”
Connecticut’s two U.S. senators, Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy, each attended a rally opposing Musk outside the Treasury Building in Washington on Tuesday. Murphy suggested Democrats should not confirm any Trump appointees until what he called a “constitutional crisis” was resolved. Blumenthal said Democrats needed the people to speak out en masse.
Outside the state Capitol in Hartford Wednesday, Jennifer Seim of Wallingford said she was attending the protest to stand up for her rights and to signal her opposition to the Trump administration to like-minded people.
“People need to know that they're not alone,” Seim said. “People need to know that there are many of us that have these beliefs, many of us that understand what's going on, and together, we are stronger.”“We have to stand up,” Seim said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
