New grassroots group leads President’s Day protest at Capitol

When Branden Pecor of Grand Rapids braved a winter storm and subzero windchills on Monday to protest outside the Michigan Capitol, she did not realize the event had been canceled.

Luckily for her, hundreds of other attendees had not heard either. That, or they came anyway.

“I’m afraid of the stuff that’s going on right now,” Pecor said. “I have kids, I’m worried about our planet, I’m worried about all the people and the places that have their funding cut, that are losing their jobs. I’m just afraid.”

Pecor and the others protested in Lansing Monday as part of a coordinated, nationwide “Not My President’s Day” protest. The protest was organized by the 50501 Movement, which first came together to organize a series of coordinated protests on Feb. 5. 

The grassroots organizing that united 50501 Michigan was needed again when 50501 withdrew from the protest five days earlier, citing weather and security concerns. A new group, MI Resist, gathered to organize the event.

“I think the message that there would be a protest circulated further than the cancellation,” said one protester.

Eric, a protester who declined to give a last name, said the protest “was canceled a couple of times.” But he decided to come anyway when he heard about MI Resist taking the reins.

Eric cited a similar fear to Pecor’s as motivating his protest. “I’m here because I’m terrified about what’s going on,” he said. “If there’s somewhere I can make my voice heard, and support others doing the same, that’s where I’ll be.”

Like the original 50501 protest, demonstrators held signs protesting a variety of issues, including transgender rights, women’s healthcare and the Trump administration’s sweeping budget cuts. But opposition to Elon Musk and his so-called Department of Government Efficiency were common threads.

“One of the most alarming developments is the administration’s aggressive consolidation of power, spearheaded by Elon Musk,” said MI Resist member Kimberly Bogan in a speech on the Capitol steps. “A billionaire who openly supported the administration’s campaign with unprecedented financial contributions appears to have effectively bought his way into the highest level of our government.”

Bogan’s comments come on the heels of sweeping budget cuts across the federal government spearheaded by Elon Musk. These cuts include freezing all U.S. Agency for International Development foreign aid programs and shutting down the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. 

Federal judges have temporarily ordered the funding restored, but protesters and speakers called the budget cuts an abuse of power.

Another speaker was Melik Brown, better known in Greater Lansing as Metro Melik, a deejay, community activist and former owner of Metro Melik 517. Brown’s impassioned speech argued for resilience.

“I have never been more nervous about the future than now,” said Brown. “I lived through Reaganomics, I lived through the Cold War. I thought at least then we’d all be annihilated and I wouldn’t have to worry. But now, they are allowing us to stay alive, but under impoverished conditions.”

“If you feel uncomfortable, that’s their plan,” he continued. “But what they didn’t plan for is strength in numbers. They probably did not plan, as I was receiving text messages that this event was canceled and that we were going to show up anyway,” Brown said.

Another speaker, Susan Harris, told protesters to band together in solidarity. “Don’t get distracted by methods different from yours,” she said.

In the frigid weather, organizers gave out hats, gloves and hand warmers to protesters. A warming station was also set up at The Fledge, an eastside community and advocacy center focused on radical inclusivity. Organizers also handed out QR code invitations to a Signal group called MI Resist Lansing, where organizers connected attendees with organizing efforts in their areas.

MI Resist also plans to help organize Feb. 28 and March 15 economic blackouts, a nationwide boycott of spending on major corporations. The dates were listed on a flyer organizers handed out.

“People could stop by, get warm and get supplies, like food and clothing,” said Jerry Norris, The Fledge’s founder and CEO. Your Mom, a Greater Lansing Area mutual aid directory, collected and distributed supplies.

The coordinated protest also had a footprint in the Upper Peninsula and Metro Detroit, according to WLNS and Yahoo News. Thousands also protested in the U.S. Capitol in tandem with the state protests.

As opposition to the Trump administration continues, nationwide organization efforts continue to be circulated through local communities. Whether 50501 Michigan or MI Resist specifically will last remains to be seen, but many see this type of decentralized, grassroots organizing as a legitimate way forward.