The longstanding federal holiday to celebrate President George Washington’s birthday turned into a day of protests Monday. In dozens of cities around the country, Americans unhappy with President Donald Trump’s policies and political appointments staged a “Not My Presidents Day” to call for government accountability.

What You Need To Know

  • A longstanding federal holiday to celebrate President George Washington’s birthday turned into a day of protests Monday

  • In dozens of cities around the country, Americans unhappy with President Donald Trump’s policies and political appointments staged a “Not My Presidents Day” to call for government accountability

  • The events are part of the 50501 Movement, which was named for a protest event designed to take place in all 50 states on the same day

  • Speakers took turns on the microphone calling out the Trump administration’s effort to freeze funding and halt the operations of numerous federal agencies, including those that oversee medical research, environmental protections, public education, air safety and social safety net programs like Medicaid

The events are part of the 50501 Movement, which was named for a protest event designed to take place in all 50 states on the same day. Monday’s protests for "Not My Presidents Day" and "No Kings on Presidents Day" were scheduled in at least 18 states, including California, Florida, Idaho and Texas.

“Donald Trump and Elon Musk have made a devil’s bargain. They are going to gut federal services so they can deliver themselves the next round of government contracts and fat tax cuts for billionaires,” said Leah Greenberg, the co-founder and co-executive director of the progressive anti-Trump grassroots group Indivisible, during a protest at Capitol Hill.

 “We fight against Trump and we fight for a country where everyone belongs and where everyone is included and everyone has a voice,” she added

Speaking to a crowd of protesters carrying American flags and home-made signs that includedd the phrases “where law ends tyranny begins” and “save our democracy,” Greenberg and dozens of other speakers took turns on the microphone calling out the Trump administration’s effort to freeze funding and halt the operations of numerous federal agencies, including those that oversee medical research, environmental protections, public education, air safety, and social safety net programs like Medicaid.

Among them was a trio of teenagers from Meridian High School in Northern Virginia, who traveled to Washington, D.C., on their day off from school for the President’s Day holiday to speak at the rally.

“We’re teenagers in America,” said a girl who identified herself only as Eudora. “We are scared for our futures, for our rights, for our educations and for the way our country is going.”

They called on other rally goers to stay informed, participate in protests and call their elected representatives.

Carlos Álvarez-Aranyos, a public relations consultant and founder of the newly formed anti-fascist group American Opposition, said the country is living under fascist rule four weeks after Trump was sworn in as president.

“It became fascism the moment he fired the civil servants who had investigated him. It continued when he began shutting down federal agencies without congressional approval. And it has reached a fever pitch as he has empowered Elon Musk, a private citizen with no expertise in this area whatsoever, to steal our data and destroy our government like he destroyed Twitter,” Álvarez-Aranyos said during the Capitol Hill protest.

Without Congress or the U.S. Supreme Court, with a 6-3 conservative majority, pushing back on Trump’s policies, he said the U.S. system of checks and balances has failed and called on the American people to defend democracy.

“I have a message for Donald Trump and every other fascist: You’re pitting yourselves against the collective power of the American people,” Álvarez-Aranyos said. “Make no mistake about it. You don’t stand a chance.”