“Evergreen Resistance” is Washington state’s chapter of the 50501 movement, who organized a protest against President Donald Trump on March 4, 2025. (Photo by Jacquelyn Jimenez Romero/Washington State Standard)
More than 2,000 people rallied at the Washington state Capitol on Tuesday to protest President Donald Trump, ahead of his speech to a joint session of Congress.
Around 2,300 hundred people attended the rally, according to estimates from the Department of Enterprise Services. This event was a part of a national effort called the “50501” movement which seeks to mobilize 50 protests, across 50 states, in one day. Washington’s chapter is called the “Evergreen Resistance.”
The protest began in Heritage Park in downtown Olympia at 3 p.m. and people made their way up to the steps of the Capitol around 4 p.m., where speakers at the rally criticized Trump and Elon Musk for undermining democracy.
The wind blew upside-down American flags people brought to the protest, mirroring a protest at Yosemite National Park, in California, where park employees hung the U.S. flag upside down. The flag being upside down symbolizes a distress call.
The crowd carried signs with statements like “There are no kings in America” and “Save Democracy.”
A wide number of issues were brought up, including transgender, immigrant, and abortion rights, along with support for laid-off federal employees and for Ukraine.
At the protest, speakers called for the public to engage in a general strike and stop all unnecessary spending.
“If they’re not working for us, then we’re not working for them,” someone in the crowd yelled.
According to the Washington group’s website, they are a decentralized grassroots movement dedicated to non-violence and committed to upholding democracy and the U.S. Constitution. They say that they oppose violations of the Constitution and federal law, executive overreach, and the demonization of diverse communities.
The group previously rallied at the Capitol on Feb. 5, sharing similar messages against Trump and Musk.
The crowd dispersed at 5 p.m. and organizers urged attendees to engage in collective action to protect human rights and democracy.