Protesters march at Minnesota State Capitol to push back against Trump administration

Organizer Brielle Lee Barrett was overcome with emotion as she looked out at roughly 500 flag-waving protesters who braved the cold Wednesday in St. Paul and chanted in opposition of new President Donald Trump.

“It’s hard to know whether to cry or jump or scream, but it’s incredible and it’s just amazing to see all these people come together,” the Pennock resident said in an interview just outside the state Capitol building.

Wednesday’s demonstration on the steps of the Capitol was part of the “50501 Movement” — which is shorthand for 50 protests, in 50 states in one day.

Thousands of protesters marched at state capitols throughout the country including Austin, Philadelphia and Atlanta on Wednesday to denounce the Trump administration’s recent actions on everything from immigration policy to billionaire Elon Musk’s new Department of Government Efficiency.

The St. Paul march began from locations at St. Paul College and a sculpture garden to the west of the Capitol. Demonstrators’ chants were not directed at one issue in particular and instead focused on a multitude of changes led by the Trump administration during the last several weeks. Some held signs in support of undocumented immigrants. Others waved transgender pride flags. Many carried American flags.

Ashley Benites, a novelist who drove to the protest from Shorewood, said she has been “enraged” by what she’s seen from the new administration so far. Benites noted she’s concerned her children will not be able to attend college if Trump dismantles the Department of Education as he has promised and federal student aid programs go away.

“I’m enraged on behalf of my kids as well, because they’ve never known normalcy” she said.

While most in attendance at the protest appeared to be anti-Trump, several Trump supporters stood on the outskirts. One wore a “Make America Great Again” hat and a shirt that read “Miss me yet?”

Several people shouted at the 19-year-old Trump supporter, who would only identify himself as Trevor.

“I was already in St. Paul and just wanted to observe,” he said, adding he has been pleased with how Trump has taken action with implementing trade tariffs.

Another Trump supporter, 19-year-old University of Minnesota Student Elliot Lindsey, held a pro-Trump flag and chatted with an anti-Trump protester after most of the crowd dispersed. He said he has been a staunch supporter of Trump’s approach to immigration and increasing deportations.

Overall, “he’s been pretty much as good as I expected him to be,” Lindsey said.

Anti-Trump protesters said in interviews they fear his return to office will lead to increased racism against immigrants and people of color. Gloria Kranenburg, a mental health therapist with the Family Development Center, said her therapy office has a focus on social justice and addressing racism in mental health care, and that it felt important to her to attend.

“What Trump is doing is just awful for all of our clients and our communities, and so we think it’s really important to be here and advocating against him and his policies,” she said.