Editor’s Note: For the sake of safety, many of the organizers chose to go by an alias when speaking to the press.

Protesters in all 50 states gathered at their state capitals to protest against Project 2025 on Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025 in a movement known as the 50501 movement. The Sacramento protest gathered an estimated 500 people, including students, families and government workers.

Though Project 2025 is not endorsed by President Donald Trump, recent executive orders have paralleled its values, causing concerns among citizens.

The 50501 movement’s official press release calls for Trump to be impeached, Elon Musk’s and other Trump appointees’ roles in the government to be investigated and for DEI programs to be reinstated.

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Sas, a 43-year-old student at California State University Monterey Bay, was the spokesperson for the Sacramento movement.

“The movement hopes to show that feeling of uneasiness, of fear, that the way you live your life is now in danger; everyone is feeling that. They are not coming to save you. Save yourselves,” Sas said.

Alex Walker-Griffin, former mayor and now city council member of Hercules, CA, said he attended the protest to show support for his community.

“[Project 2025] is a living blueprint of not only what is unfolding before us, [it] emboldens people that share the ideologies of Donald Trump and Elon Musk to go out and implement it into their communities without any sort of repercussions and fear,” Griffin said.

Despite connected protests occurring in San Francisco and Los Angeles, many made the trip to the capital finding it to be the most important spot to gather. Protestors passed out bracelets, inspirational quotes and mock newspapers about a future society if the protests are successful.

Griffin said he wished to encourage students and the younger generation to get involved. He was student body president when he attended school and former member of the California Community Colleges Board of Governors, where he advocated for students.

“Students have a lot more power than they think,” Griffin said. “It doesn’t matter if it’s a student council election or a school board election. Get involved, pay attention to what’s happening to the state, most importantly on a local level. Never feel discouraged, and always remember there is power in numbers.”

Sacramento State students showed up to the protest to express their support, with some bearing signs. Anahi Ochoa, a sophmore criminal justice major at Sac State said they attended with friends to stand for their beliefs regarding the present issues.

“To know all walks of life – young, old, white, Black, Hispanic, Indian – support these rights makes me feel like we are united as one,” Ochoa said.

Mia Winkler, a senior environmental studies major, protested by standing on the street corner with signs to get people driving by involved. More people joined her on the corner with signs of their own, waving at honking vehicles.

“There was also people in their cars that had just kept driving around the block,” Winkler said. “They had signs in their cars.”

Many gathered out of concern for the Trump administration’s immigration policies. These policies have end birthright citizenship and declared a national emergency at the southern border of the US.

Native Americans at the protest held a flag reading “We are not the immigrants” as they sang and burned sage, while many Mexican-American protesters waved the Mexican flag.

“My biggest concern regarding Trump’s presidency is immigration laws, as I come from a small town that is mostly immigrants. These people work their whole lives to improve their future,” Ochoa said. “It makes me worry about my friends and family back at home. Will I be able to see them again, or do I have to worry about them being deported?”

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Protest cries called for students to take action and be a part of the movement for change. Winkler said students can get involved through volunteering or even discussions with their siblings, especially younger ones, to keep them informed.

Ochoa said they hope that students can unify themselves as one to fight for their futures.

“We could try to work together to make the world a better place for our children and future generations,” Ochoa said.