The 50501 Movement is once again calling Americans to the streets for its next National Day of Action, “Rage Against the Regime,” on Aug. 2. Among the dozens of protests planned across the country, one will take place in front of the Patrick Henry Library in Vienna, Virginia — a direct response to what organizers describe as the authoritarian, tyrannical, and racist rule of President Donald Trump.
Participants in Vienna are encouraged to bring protest signs, chairs, music, reusable water bottles, and even bubbles, as organizers promise a peaceful but forceful demonstration in defense of democracy and civil liberties.
“We are celebrating and exercising our First Amendment rights, rain or shine,” the event listing reads. “Bring as many friends as you can… We are having a non-violent, peaceful protest, as is our right! WE THE PEOPLE!”
The Aug. 2 protests come after the nationwide “No Kings Day” actions on June 14, which organizers say drew more than five million participants in over 2,100 separate demonstrations across all 50 states.
Those protests, timed on Flag Day and Trump’s birthday, targeted what activists called the rise of authoritarianism and the erosion of constitutional protections under the Trump administration. In cities like New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and Seattle, tens of thousands marched, rallied, and held vigils. In Salt Lake City, a protester was shot during a peaceful demonstration, underscoring the risks faced by activists and the rising tensions in the country.
The 50501 Movement and its partners — including Voices of Florida, Public Citizen, and regional Democratic Socialist chapters — said “No Kings Day” laid the foundation for a continued national uprising.
“Whether protestors marched in the streets or held a vigil for movement elders and for victims of the federal government’s human rights abuses, they made their voices heard and thereby joined the legacy of all those who came before them,” said Sarah Parker, executive director for Voices of Florida and a 50501 national partner. “Progress takes generations of hard work and collective struggle.”
Organizers say the protests are rooted in the legacy of civil rights leaders like John Lewis and a long tradition of peaceful resistance. Aug. 2 is expected to draw tens of thousands once again to cities across the country, as the 50501 Movement urges Americans to convert their outrage into action.
The Rage Against the Regime protests will target the Trump administration’s policies, including the weaponization of ICE, the construction of concentration camps, the rollback of transgender rights, and the dismantling of Medicaid, SNAP, USAID, NOAA, the Department of Education, and other federal programs.
“The Trump administration’s heralding of American neo-fascism has given us plenty to rage about,” said Hunter Dunn, 50501 national press coordinator and an organizer for 50501 SoCal. “When our so-called representative government builds concentration camps and funds genocide, it becomes clear that, as Tom Morello said: ‘Some of those that work forces are the same that burn crosses.’”
Source: Published without changes from Washington Informer Newspaper
