MILES PARKS, HOST:
Across the country, tens of thousands of anti-administration protesters returned to the streets today. Since President Trump took office, there's been a wave of nationwide demonstrations against his plans and policies. Take a listen to the scene outside the White House today in Lafayette Square.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
UNIDENTIFIED PROTESTER: (Chanting) Show me what democracy looks like.
UNIDENTIFIED PROTESTERS: (Chanting) This is what democracy looks like.
UNIDENTIFIED PROTESTER: (Chanting) Show me what...
PARKS: We're joined now in studio by NPR's Juliana Kim, who was at two protests here in Washington. Hi, Juliana.
JULIANA KIM: Hi there.
PARKS: So tell us a little bit about these protests. What were they about?
KIM: So these rallies were organized by the 50501 Movement, which stands for 50 protests in 50 states and one movement. If they sound familiar, it's because they were behind the hundreds of rallies held at state capitals in February on Presidents Day. Organizers say the purpose of the protest movement is to defend democracy and the Constitution and to speak out against government overreach.
PARKS: So you've been going to a number of these protests in recent weeks. What was the energy like today?
KIM: You know, it seems like large numbers of people are continuing to turn out. According to organizers today, hundreds of rallies, again, were scheduled around the country. I went to two protests today, and at both of them, I met people who said this is a new chapter for them, and they haven't been this politically active in a long time. I spoke with Andy Carpenter (ph) at the protest in Lafayette Square, and he told me that he never really attended a protest before Trump got elected for a second term. But now he calls this a new job of his.
ANDY CARPENTER: But as we build consensus, as we build discipline, as we begin to express more and more and more strongly that - what this country is about and what is unacceptable, that's going to have an impact.
KIM: Another protester, Erin Gary (ph) said she's also coming out regularly in order to motivate those around her.
ERIN GARY: I'm coming out just as an act of awareness and maybe to help embolden friends and neighbors. If you see one person stand up, there's strength in numbers. Solidarity matters.
KIM: Others told me that they hope these rallies will pressure lawmakers into standing up against Trump. I also want to add, the White House hasn't responded to a request for comment on these protests, but the president has repeatedly said the country supports what he's doing.
PARKS: Right. Well, it does seem obvious to me that the people in D.C. might be kind of politically motivated, but what have you heard about events around the country?
KIM: Well, here's a sample from one protester, Sue Finney (ph) from Lexington, Kentucky. When asked what impact she hopes these demonstrations will have, she told member station WEKU this.
SUE FINNEY: I hope people see the number of people that are coming together to stand together. Even though we may not have common ground on everything, we have on common ground that we believe that our country is - needs to be protected, our rights need to be protected and that we need to continue to be a democracy for all people.
KIM: Other member stations reported rallies in Philadelphia, Milwaukee, Cincinnati, Birmingham, just to name a few. I should note that there were mass protests during Trump's first term. And, you know, we don't know how these rallies will continue to take shape, but the protesters I spoke to said they plan to keep coming out for months on end.
PARKS: That's NPR's Juliana Kim. Thank you so much, Juliana.
KIM: Thank you.
(SOUNDBITE OF HISS GOLDEN MESSENGER'S "HAT OF RAIN") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.
