Roughly 50 Augusta locals gathered outside the steps of the John H. Ruffin Jr. Courthouse, Wednesday afternoon, most with colorful signs in tow, to air grievance against the Trump administration.
“We are in opposition of Project 2025,” said Axel Switch with Women for a Cause Protesting, Augusta, the group that organized Wednesday’s rally, referring to the policy initiative published by conservative think tank the Heritage Foundation. “Overall general Trump’s presidency and everything he’s currently standing for all of those executive orders that he’s passing that are dismantling our democracy.”
The demonstration was coordinated in solidarity with 50501, a decentralized, nationwide, grassroots protest initiative organized largely via social media, particularly the forum site Reddit. The name is short for “50 protests, 50 states, one day,” and the effort comprised of anti-Trump protests at the capitol buildings of all 50 states, as well as in other cities, on Feb. 5.
Women for a Cause organized the courthouse protest to give Augustans who might not be able to travel to the 50501 demonstrations in Atlanta or Columbia an opportunity to participate, said Switch.
“We saw people posting about it,” said Beth Gray, one of the organizers, also with Women for a Cause Protesting, Augusta. “We saw that it seemed like there was not really, like, a set plan [for Augusta], and so we, with our experience, offered help, and that’s why we’re here today.”
Chants of outside the courthouse, ringing down James Brown Boulevard, ranged from “the people united will never be divided!” and “love, not hate, makes America great!” to “trans rights are human rights!” and “Black lives matter!”
Many of the signs messages expressed support for trans rights, opposition to the Trump administrations immigration policies and the positioning of Elon Musk as a special government employee.
“I’m just tired of everything that the government is trying to do,” said protestor Justin Hughes. “As far as trans rights, Migration Status, everything, all of the stuff that’s been put into place, especially in the last month, it’s ridiculous. Everyone deserves the same rights.”
Augusta District 1 Commissioner Jordan Johnson joined the protesters at the courthouse at about 5 p.m., and gave an address in support of their cause. In his speech, Johnson urged the demonstrators to apply energy in focus to city and state issues as part of their federal-level grievances.
“Let’s not get caught up simply in Donald Trump’s agenda and what he’s doing at the national level. You better get focused on what’s happening at 535 Telfair St. You better get interested in what’s happening at your city hall and what’s happening at your state level and at your school board,” Johnson said. “You making a loud plea that the Augusta and the Richmond County Georgia that we know right now will not continue to be the CSRA in the Richmond County Georgia that we have always known. Because when we show up, change has to happen, because we are change makers. We are the change so don’t let anyone tell you differently.”
Rev. Nick Filzen, minister of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Augusta, who was also in attendance, noted that Wednesday’s rally marked the beginning of a potential movement, calling it the first step.
“A protest is powerful because it lets people know that we’re here together, that there’s coalition, that there’s solidarity,” he said, stress that the next and “more important step” is start developing strategies. “It’s truly effective to put a stop to and maybe even turn back some of the draconian policies that are being put in place right now. And at the end of the day, for me as a Unitarian, Universalist minister, love is at the center of everything I do, and anytime you can spread that, even if it’s just being angry together, there’s value in that.”
Skyler Andrews is a reporter covering business for The Augusta Press. Reach him at skyler@theaugustapress.com.
