Protesters set to gather at Arizona Capitol as part of nationwide opposition to Trump policies

PHOENIX – Protesters are planning to gather at the Arizona Capitol on Wednesday as part of a nationwide movement opposing President Donald Trump’s agenda.

The movement has been organizing under the hashtags #buildtheresistance and #50501, which stands for 50 protests, 50 states, one day.

A flyer posted to an Instagram account called “50501movement” says the Arizona protest will start at noon at the state government campus, which is located near 17th Avenue and Jefferson Street in Phoenix.

The Valley has seen multiple protests against Trump’s actions in the past week. On Sunday night, multiple police and civilian vehicles were damaged by protesters during a demonstration against federal immigration policies in Glendale.

Glendale Police released footage of two of their patrol vehicles being damaged during the protest on Sunday evening. pic.twitter.com/p2JEvIavLp

— KTAR News 92.3 (@KTAR923) February 4, 2025

The Phoenix Police Department issued a statement on Tuesday about how its Public Safety Response Team (PSRT) is specially trained to keep the peace when members of the public gather to exercise their free speech rights.

“The PSRT monitors events such as those taking place in recent days and only intervenes to address criminal behavior such as street racing or illegal fireworks that may disrupt peaceful activities, cause injury or impact public safety response and services,” the statement says.

Statement from the Phoenix Police Department on protected First Amendment activity and community safety. pic.twitter.com/VDGOkfaMy8

— Phoenix Police (@PhoenixPolice) February 5, 2025

Protesters organizing online

The nationwide movement behind the protests planned for Wednesday has websites and accounts across social media, with the Reddit community r/50501 an apparent focal point.

Flyers circulating online decry Project 2025, a hard-right playbook for American government and society, and include messages such as “reject fascism” and “defend our democracy.”

Trump has signed a series of executive orders in the early weeks of his new term on everything from trade and immigration to climate change. As Democrats begin to raise their voice in opposition to Trump’s agenda, protests have also begun.

On Sunday, thousands of people marched against Trump’s plan for large-scale deportations in Southern California, including in downtown Los Angeles, where protests shut down a major freeway for hours.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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