Washington 50501 protest draws crowd of over 1,500 at Capitol
Jules Blakley chants on the steps of the Capitol Building in Olympia during Washington’s rally as part of Wednesday’s “50 Protests, 50 States, 1 Day” nationwide event at every state capitol. (Kevin Clark/Seattle Times)
OLYMPIA – A crowd of about 1,500 people gathered at the state Capitol Wednesday afternoon to protest the presidential administration.
Anti-Trump protests are taking place at all 50 state capitols. Protesters are rallying against the administration’s policies and for the rights of immigrants, transgender people and other marginalized groups.
The crowd assembled around noon on the Capitol campus lawn, quickly growing to more than 500. Another previously scheduled rally began at the same time on the steps of the legislative building where a group of about 100 gathered for the OneAmerica Immigrant and Refugee Rally.
Attendees of the 50501 rally held American flags and signs reading “Immigrants make America great” and “Reject Project 2025.” Organizers described the event as a grassroots movement, directing those interested in more information to buildtheresistance.org which describes 50501 as a “decentralized rapid response.”
The event was unstructured with an open megaphone where attendees could come forward and speak between chants of “USA we are” and “trans rights are our rights.”
By 2:30 p.m., the crowd was closer to 1,500. As the crowd grew, they marched in a circle around the lawn and lined the road as some cars honked in support.
Jessie Henneck-Aguiar held a sign reading “Dangerous Oligarchies Grabbing Everything,” a nod to the newly established Department of Government Efficiency, led by billionaire Elon Musk.
The level of involvement DOGE has in the federal government has drawn recent concern from members of Congress. Today, a letter penned by members of the Senate Intelligence Committee called DOGE a risk to American privacy and national security.
Henneck-Aguiar said she was concerned the Trump administration is dismantling long-standing American institutions.
At other 50501 protests across the country in Minnesota, Michigan, Texas, Wisconsin and Indiana, protesters shared similar messages denouncing Project 2025, Trump and Musk.
Project 2025, a far-right handbook on American government written by the Heritage Foundation, has been frequently referenced at rallies in Olympia and Seattle in recent months. The document’s proposal to abolish the federal Department of Education, eliminate climate policies and roll back protections for DEI and LGBTQ programs, among others, has stoked fear.
Monique Ossa said she is a first-generation American whose family is from Colombia and the gathering is an opportunity to stand up for the community.
“America has been a safe haven for people around the world and been a leader for democracy,” Ossa said.
Trump’s recent shutdown of funds to USAID, the agency responsible for delivering overseas humanitarian assistance, was especially alarming to her.
The group’s permit allowed them to remain on the campus lawn until 4:30 p.m.