On Presidents Day, hundreds gathered in downtown Long Beach for a powerful “Not My President” rally, voicing strong opposition to President Donald Trump’s administration and the prominent role of entrepreneur Elon Musk. Protesters, armed with homemade signs and waving both American and Mexican flags, assembled outside City Hall, with slogans like “Impeach Trump,” “Felon + Elon = Treason,” and “I’ve seen smarter cabinets at Ikea” plastered across their placards.
The protesters were most critical of the executive orders President Trump has signed since assuming office, including climate change policies, immigration reforms, and reproductive rights. Amanda Salemi, a 40-year-old business operations manager, was one of the participants at the rally. Carrying a sign that said “People Over Profit,” Salemi said, “I believe in democracy, not fascism, not a ruler or king.”. Our nation is in jeopardy, and I’m searching for anything that I can get myself into.
Denise Trutanich and Esther Duran, who are 73 years old, went to the protest in lawn chairs following text message notification of the rally. Trutanich, thinking about her earlier activism during the Vietnam War protests, commented, “It’s been a while that we’ve protested. I’m so beaten down by this entire affair. I feel as if we’re taking steps back.
For the first two hours of the rally, activists gave short speeches, while passing motorists blew their horns in solidarity. Anthony Bryson, of the SoCal Uprising, one of the event planners, chanted on stage and elsewhere, “Hey, hey, ho ho, Donald Trump has got to go. Hey, hey, ho ho, Elon Musk has got to go.”
As the sun set, the demonstrators marched south down Ocean Boulevard, having ugly clashes with vehement Trump supporters in the course of nearly two miles. Spectators observed two women standing on a balcony waving one sign that simply stated, “Trump 2024. Take America back.”
Among the demonstrators at the rally was Esther Duran, who protested Musk’s role as a “special government employee” in the Department of Government Efficiency. Carrying a sign that read “Elon Must Go,” Duran questioned Musk’s presence, saying, “Who is Elon Musk to even hold a position?”
The protest in Long Beach was one of numerous similar protests conducted nationwide. Similar protests were held in California, in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Sacramento, and Camarillo alone. The grassroots movement 50501 Movement, which aims to “uphold the Constitution and end executive overreach,” also organized various such events.
