Demonstrators filled cities across Texas over the weekend as part of the 50501 Movement. The coordinated, nationwide protest against President Donald Trump's administration saw major turnouts in Houston, Austin, Fort Worth and San Antonio.
The 50501 Movement — short for "50 protests, 50 states, one movement" — was born in late January and has since evolved into a widespread protest campaign. Organizers say the effort is aimed at pushing back against what they characterize as authoritarian and anti-democratic ambitions tied to Trump and Project 2025, a policy blueprint from the Heritage Foundation that critics say would erode civil liberties and concentrate power within the executive branch.
Since its first national day of action on Feb. 5, the movement has expanded rapidly. According to the group's website, more than 900 demonstrations were scheduled nationwide this weekend alone, many of which drew large crowds in New York and Washington D.C.
In Texas, the turnout was significant.
More than 1,000 people gathered at Houston City Hall on Saturday morning, as speakers repeatedly condemned Trump over a wide range of concerns, including his administration's mass deportation push, sweeping efforts to gut federal departments and Trump's recent comments on the idea of testing the Constitution's presidential term limits by seeking a third term.
"If we stand up, maybe democracy has a chance," said 75-year-old Houston resident Karen Bell, before joining the crowd in a march through the city.
Among the Houston crowd was a man named Richard, a subcontractor working with NASA who declined to give his last name out of fear of professional retaliation. He was dressed in an orange astronaut costume, his beard dyed to match, while holding a sign that read "Hands Off NASA."
"I'm here to make my voice heard, one sign at a time, to support the space program," he said. "We are all gonna be affected by the changes at NASA."
After Trump took office in January, billionaire Elon Musk has pushed for the reduction of government spending as the head of Trump's Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE. According to an ongoing tally by the New York Times, at least 12% of the country's federal workforce has been fired, taken early retirement or taken buyouts since Trump took office – that's more than 288,000 jobs across multiple federal agencies. Hundreds of NASA employees have already accepted deferred resignation offers as the space agency's workforce braces for potential cuts.
About 200 miles away, another large group took to the streets in San Antonio. More than 1,000 people marched about a mile and a half through the city under cloudy, breezy skies. Similar to Houston, demonstrators held signs that read "No Kings in America."
"We gotta protect our democracy, protect everything from these tyrants and billionaires," said Zac Zepeda to Texas Public Radio. "I hope they see the light of day. I don't hate them but I sure do despise them and what they're doing."
In Fort Worth, hundreds more gathered at Burk Burnett Park around noon, kicking the day off with speeches from organizers like Rev. Kyle Powell, a minister at University Christian Church in Fort Worth. He said he helped organize the protest to help people find community and identify "real and tangible" ways to make a difference locally.
"There are people in our communities that are being either marginalized or outright attacked right now," Powell told The Fort Worth Report. "We want to show folks here in Tarrant County, specifically here in Fort Worth, that there are other people here who care about their fellow Texans, about their fellow Americans, and about their fellow people."
Demonstrators marched through the streets of downtown Fort Worth twice: first at around 1 p.m. and again at about two hours later. Organizers estimated more than 800 people were present for the marches.
In Austin, more than a thousand people gathered outside the Texas Capitol for a picnic protest. Around a thousand people sat on blankets while listening to speeches and live music. Even more demonstrations popped up across the state in cities like Galveston, Lubbock and Waco.
Organizers of 50501 have said the protests held so far are only the beginning. Similar demonstrations are already scheduled for May 1 in cities across Texas as part of May Day 2025.
"We're going to keep protesting until we have some kind of positive action," said Alex Svehla, 50501's lead organizer in San Antonio.
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