Hundreds of Vermonters joined a protest against the Trump administration on the steps of the Statehouse on Wednesday — part of a national movement to resist President Donald Trump’s policies since he came into office two weeks ago.
The protest movement, titled 50501, is a decentralized initiative to bring protests to every state capitol in the nation. Vermonters arrived at the Statehouse in Montpelier with signs, flags and chants, despite the blustery 13-degree weather.
The themes of attendees’ signs ranged from objections to Elon Musk’s involvement in the administration to supporting LGBTQ+ rights, abortion rights and the Palestinian cause. If any thread unified the protesters, it was the desire to push back against what they said was Trump’s anti-democratic approach to his presidential power and harm to marginalized people.
Several state legislators attended the protest, joining in on chants and speaking to folks in the crowd. Among them were Rep. Mari Cordes, D-Lincoln; Rep. Saudia LaMont, D-Morristown; and Rep. Jubilee McGill, D-Bridport, who told VTDigger the Trump administration had been front-of-mind for them, not only as individuals but also as representatives of a small state likely to be heavily affected by Trump policies such as his proposed tariffs.
This story will be updated.
Read the story on VTDigger here: Vermonters join national movement to protest Trump administration policies.