For the second time in two weeks, people gathered in New Mexico to protest the actions of the Trump Administration. There were marches at the state capitol in Santa Fe and at Albuquerque’s Civic Plaza.
Over a 100 people marched through downtown Albuquerque before ending at the plaza. Fiadh only gave her first name and dressed in red with a white head covering — a costume based on the novel and TV show The Handmaid's Tale.
“They've already taken our right to our own reproductive health,” she said. “Then they take away more rights and it's unnerving to me.”
Fiadh said what is happening under the administration with Elon Musk’s government efficiency group is unconstitutional. And she has a message for President Trump.
“Try to grab my p$%#@,” she said.
This protest is just one of many around the country scheduled on President’s Day by the 50501 movement, which stands for 50 protests, 50 states and 1 movement.
Cecilia Chavez is a social justice activist who said democracy is at risk.
“People are standing up everywhere today and we’ll hopefully continue to do this every single day, because we need to put ourselves on the line. This cannot be a one off. We have to fight like hello” she said.
Student Thomas Abeyta said it’s difficult watching what he calls unjust actions.
“And to feel like I'm powerless to stop any of them,” he said. “So getting together with your community and with your friends is absolutely a decent way to make sure your elected officials know what you care about and what you're going to vote on.”
Yanelli, who did not want to use her last name, is Mexican-American and she said she’s tired of people describing her community as criminals who are stealing Americans' jobs.
“We're not doing that like we're here to better our lives, to just to work. And like we're being told that we don't pay taxes and all these things, and we definitely pay taxes, we definitely contribute to this country,” she said.
She said people will suffer from mass deportations.
“And I'm here standing up for the people that are scared to come out and have their voice being heard.”
She said it’s important for people to come out and protest. And there will likely be more protests in the future.
Support from the coverage comes from the Thornburg Foundation.
