On Wednesday, Feb. 5, a protest titled “Reject Project 2025” was held at City Hall Park, right next to the University. The initial flyer for the protest says, “50 protests, 50 states, one day,” giving it the title of the 50501 protest. People gathered in City Hall Park to stand up for immigrants, diversity, trans rights, civil servants, science and the Constitution, as stated on the flyer.
Project 2025 is a political initiative designed to reshape the federal government of the United States and remove checks on executive powers in favor of right-wing policies. The conservative government plan lists different policies that may be added, removed or changed during the implementation process.
During the protest, crowds gathered around the park’s fountain holding signs while chanting various phrases, including “The people united will never be defeated.” Many representatives from the Revcom Corps for the Emancipation of Humanity were also present, distributing flyers and answering questions.
One of the flyers features a quote from the organization’s leader, Bob Avakian: “There is no good reason why the world has to be the way it is… A whole different way of living is possible: a whole different way to organize society, with a radically different economic foundation and political system, emancipating relations among people and an uplifting culture–all of this oriented to meeting the basic needs and fulfilling the highest interests of the masses of people.”
Travis Morales, a representative of Revcom Corps, described the protest’s goals in more detail: “We’re here to reject the Project 2025 program and demand a new system. We don’t have to live this way… People are coming here to have a safe place to fight for their beliefs.”
The protestors continued to assemble in the park, chanting sayings such as “Hate has no home here” and “Stand up, fight back.” They also brought in some of their political beliefs with sayings like “Trans Rights now,” “My body, my choice” and “Hands off Gaza.”
One protestor, Sarah Arvizo, is a New York native, but her parents immigrated to the United States from Mexico. “I am out here expressing my First Amendment right to free speech against what I believe is an unjust government… This administration goes against everything that I hold dear,” Arvizo said.
The event lasted about two hours, and many different people came together to protest. To learn more about the Revcom Corps organization and Project 2025, please visit their respective websites.
