Vincent Garza
Protestors gathered outside the Walker County Courthouse on Thursday to protest the first 100 days of President Donald Trump's second term.
Members of the Huntsville community gathered in front of the Walker County Courthouse on Thursday to protest President Donald Trump’s administration following the first 100 days of his second term.
The protest consisted of both SHSU students and residents of varying ages from the greater Huntsville area, holding signs directly towards the street. The participants were met with mixed reactions, getting both honks of approval and heckles of disapproval from passing vehicles.
SHSU student Stephen Ochoa shared the exact reasoning for the protest, as well as his thoughts on the amount of people that attended.
“This protest is part of the 50501 movement’s national day of action, which is part of a national movement against the injustices committed by the Trump administration,” Ochoa said. “There are currently other demonstrations being held all over America, not just here. Even in a more conservative town such as Huntsville I am not surprised by the support. We have even seen the rise of people concerned about threats to things such as the education system and social security, which is why we are seeing a wide demographic of people speaking out, both younger and older folk.”
According to the official 50501 website, the movement came as a “decentralized rapid response to the anti-democratic and illegal actions of the Trump administration and its plutocratic allies.” The idea of 50 protests in 50 states on one day was born on Reddit, and spread rapidly on social media. According to the group, grassroots organizers—without any budget, centralized structure, or official backing—pulled off over 80 peaceful protests in all 50 states in just days.
SHSU student and first time-protest participant Duy Pham pointed to the importance of making one’s voice heard when explaining what motivated him to participate.
“I was invited and I was also told about this by my philosophy professor, and I have never been to one before so this is my first one,” Pham said. “While we are here protesting the administrations I also think it’s important to think about all of the injustices, discrimination, and oppression that is being put on the American people. There are so many people not only on campus but all over the country who feel that way, but they do not feel empowered to stand up and fight. But if we let people know, such as today, that there is hope, hopefully more people will begin to speak up and show up.”