Richmond was alive with activism Presidents Day as hundreds gathered across the city to protest the policies of the Trump administration and local political leaders. From rallies in Capitol Square to marches through the streets, the day highlighted a shared commitment to justice, solidarity and community action.

“On this beautiful, sunny day, we come here together as one humanity,” said Lacette Cross, executive director of Diversity Richmond during a rally at the Bell Tower in Capitol Square organized as part of the “50 Protests, 50 States, 1 Day” movement.

“We will continue to gather and to protest and to move in love fueled by a common belief that all of us deserve to be in the fullness of our humanity.”

The 50-50-1 rally was part of a nationwide “No Kings Day” campaign to protest the actions of the Trump administration.

It was also the second protest held in Capitol Square that day.

Hours before hundreds of 50-50-1 rally attendees waved flags, held signs, and chanted, another crowd of more than 100 gathered in the same spot to voice their concerns about federal and state government actions and their impact on their communities.

This earlier crowd was part of the March for Working Families, which focused on voting and immigrant rights, housing, education and union labor. Their efforts started in the morning in Abner Clay Park, lasted for several hours and saw over a hundred attendees travel up Brook Road and across Broad Street to the Capitol.

The march was bookended by rallies featuring bilingual speeches, poetry, as well as music courtesy of singer Luci Murphy.

“This problem can feel too big to solve because it’s happening at the highest levels in our land,” activist Penny Page said, addressing marchers on the actions of politicians in the Republican and Democratic parties. “But it’s also a problem here in Virginia, and here locally in Richmond. The problem starts locally, and it can be fixed locally.”

 Hundreds of demonstrators, part of a nationwide movement called “50 Protests, 50 States, 1 Day” convened at the Bell Tower in Capitol Square on Presidents Day, Feb. 17.
 

Other assemblies occurred across the city, such as a protest outside the Tesla car dealership on Broad Street over its CEO Elon Musk’s role in cuts to federal agencies and departments.

Around the same time, about 60 students walked out of classes at Virginia Commonwealth University for a rally focused on the ongoing treatment of Palestinians before and during the current ceasefire in the war in Gaza.

“We’re walking out today not to honor the presidents, but reject them,” organizer and VCU student Sereen Haddad said, speaking to a crowd in the VCU Park Plaza, “to reject the violence they enable, the oppression that they uphold and the destruction that they leave behind.”

Though the protests and organizing groups varied, shared concerns united them. Speakers criticized the Trump administration’s anti-trans executive orders and policies affecting workers, immigrants, and other marginalized communities, emphasizing the interconnectedness of these struggles.

Accountability also was a frequent topic, though its focus shifted depending on the rally and speaker. Some focused on just the Trump administration, while others called out bipartisan acts of greed, exploitation and complicity nationally, globally or locally.

Above all, speakers and organizers stressed the need for solidarity and coalition-building to battle the injustices their communities faced and build a better future.

Samantha Mendoza Hernandez of the VCU Latinx Student Association, who spoke during the walkout rally, encouraged the public to find an issue important to them and strongly advocate for it, while supporting other causes whenever possible.

“It’s a big collective action that we’re taking together,” Hernandez said. “Even if it’s not directly involved with you, show up out of the goodness of your heart and because of humanity.”