‘Our rights are under attack’: residents protest the Trump administration

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A crowd of people carried homemade signs and American flags as they marched toward Birmingham City Hall through Linn Park on Monday afternoon. They chanted slogans, voicing opposition to various actions taken by the Trump administration. 

“Our rights are under attack,” protesters shouted. “Stand Up, Fight Back!”

Protesters spoke about a wide range of topics. Some called for protections for those in the country without legal status and members of the LGBTQ plus community. Others criticized President Donald Trump directly. One protester held a sign that said, “Presidents aren’t our kings, they are our employees.” One woman carried an oversized sign molded into the shape of a fork. It read, “Fork Off, Elon” – a reference to Elon Musk and the “fork in the road” email resignation offer sent to many federal workers.

“There’s no one issue,” said one protester, who asked to remain anonymous to protect their job. They worried about topics running from military support for Israel to transgender rights, which they said are under attack. “We’re in a constitutional crisis.”

Another protester, who went by Sam, said she was there representing herself and people from her community. 

“I’m out here to remind people that we have a country that was founded on leaving a dictatorship and an oligarchy,” Sam said. “The whole point of the Declaration of Independence was we are equal. We should have these unalienable rights. And it feels like that’s being dismantled.”

Birmingham resident Gloria Clemmensen said she was there because she is upset with what is going on in the country right now, even a little frightened.

“The only thing I know to do other than vote is to come out here and say something,” Clemmensen said.

The small crowd represented Birmingham’s participation in a national President’s Day protest. Demonstrations were organized in major cities across the country as part of the 50501 Movement, which stands for 50 protests, 50 states, one movement. Organizers described Monday’s protest as a response to “the anti-democratic and illegal actions of the Trump administration.” 

The President’s Day protests follow recent moves taken by Trump and Musk to reduce the size and reach of the federal government, including cuts to the National Parks Service and proposed cuts to the National Institute of Health.

“I am here to help stop Elon Musk and Donald Trump from all the crimes they are committing,” Paul Schilleci of Birmingham said. 

He added that next time there is a protest in Birmingham, he hopes that five times as many protesters show up to support the cause.