Participants in an anti-Trump protest carry signs in front of the Alaska State Capitol on Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025. (Photo by James Brooks/Alaska Beacon)
More than 100 Alaskans gathered Wednesday in front of the Alaska State Capitol to protest actions taken by President Donald Trump during his first month in office.
The protest, which lasted about an hour and saw participants waving signs while chanting pro-democracy slogans, was part of a loosely organized movement called #50501 that sought to hold events at all 50 state capitols nationwide.
A separate protest at the offices of Alaska’s congressional delegation was scheduled in Anchorage.
In front of the Alaska Capitol, many protesters expressed disappointment with the participation of billionaire Elon Musk in federal government business. Others objected to the Trump administration’s treatment of foreign migrants and transgender Americans.
“Reject Project 2025,” the crowd chanted. “We are united!” and “Defend our democracy!”
Family members Alberta Everson, Anita Everson and Sean Morgan attended the rally together, holding a large sign reading “No deportations, No Gitmo,” referring to the Trump administration’s new policy detaining migrants at the U.S. military prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. “I worry about my great-granddaughter,” said Everson, who had tears in her eyes. “Born here in Juneau, yeah, just two weeks old.”
“One of these things should be enough to cause the country to freak out, let alone all whatever hundreds of executive orders he signed,” said Morgan, listing his concerns including Trump’s pardon of Jan. 6 rioters, the proposed U.S. military takeover of Gaza, and targeting of marginalized groups. “They had the McCarthy era… But guess what? People stood up. It hurts, but what are we going to do? What else do we have? You want to have fascism? You like this? You want your friends being torn away?”
Adrienne Scott attended with her family, including her 4-year-old daughter. “We’re really concerned about everything going on with the Trump administration and feeling like our government’s being taken over by the billionaires,” she said. “So we just wanted to come out here and show support for marginalized people.”
Maggie Drapeaux stood with a large handmade sign with a photo of Elon Musk’s face reading, “I did not consent to a Nazi taking over the Treasury!” referring to Musk’s apparent Nazi-style salute at a rally for Trump’s inauguration. “He does not belong in our government. He is doing everything illegal right now, and he needs to be stopped.”
Drapeaux said she’s especially worried about the future of public education.
“I’m here because I need to be here,” she said. “If we don’t talk and, you know, stand up for our rights, they’re just gonna walk all over us.”
Jamiann S’eiltin Hasselquist of the Alaska Native Sisterhood spoke to attendees via a loudspeaker and reminded them that Trump has four years in office and that they should keep fighting for what they believe in. “Their objective is to rattle us, to shake us up and to keep us in fear, and again, our strongest support is each other and the community that we’ve been building.”
A reporter viewing the protest from the fourth floor of the nearby state courthouse, counted 123 participants at 12:53 p.m.
That’s large for the Alaska Capitol, but likely not the largest protest the Capitol will see this year. Last year’s education-funding protests gathered a few hundred participants to the Capitol steps. The 2017 Women’s March was the largest at the Capitol in recent memory, with between 1,000 and 1,500 participants.
Juneau has a population of about 32,000, and its relative isolation — no hard-surface roads in or out, plus limited ferry and air travel — means protests usually consist of local residents.
GET THE MORNING HEADLINES.