"Not My Presidents Day" (sometimes "Not My President's Day", or "Not My Presidents' Day") was a series of rallies against the president of the United States, Donald Trump, held on Washington's Birthday (an American federal holiday also known as Presidents' Day), February 20, 2017. Protests were held in dozens of cities throughout the United States. Demonstrations were also held outside London's Houses of Parliament.
The marches were mostly coordinated through Facebook. Organizers of the protest stated that although Trump was the president, they wanted to show that he did not represent their values. Los Angeles was the first city to plan a "Not My Presidents Day" rally, which was attended by more than a thousand protesters. New York City saw the largest demonstration, with an estimated 10,000 to 13,000 people attending a rally outside Trump International Hotel and Tower. The events were mostly peaceful, although thirteen people were arrested in Portland, Oregon.
Preparation and planning The "Not My Presidents Day" protests were mostly coordinated through Facebook, like the original event in Los Angeles, whose details were spread through social media, inspiring other rallies. Before some rallies, there was a poster-making session.
The artist's collective, Bad and Nasty, helped coordinate events for "Not My Presidents Day". Holly Hughes helped create Bad and Nasty via social media. Hughes told MTV News, "I made an idle threat on Facebook [...] I would gather the Bad Hombres and Nasty Women of Ann Arbor together at a dive bar for performance on NOT My President's Day. And overnight more than a thousand people wanted in!" Other women involved in planning Bad and Nasty events were Lois Weaver and Mary Jo Watts. In Minneapolis, Bad and Nasty was involved with a performance called "This Machine", planning well in advance of February 20, 2017. The University of California, Riverside, also planned a Bad and Nasty event for President's Day.
The Women's March committee of New York city also aided in planning for Not My Presidents Day.
Locations and activities
There were about 400 protesters in Atlanta, where a peaceful demonstration called "ImPEACH Now! (Not My) President's Day March" was followed by a march from the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority's Arts Center station, near the Woodruff Arts Center, to Lenox Square, in Buckhead. Many of the people participating in Atlanta's event were first-time protesters. The event was organized by Matthew Williams of Democracy Spring Georgia. There were about 200 people at the rally outside the Maine State House in Augusta, Maine. The protest was organized by a young trans man, Jazpyer Harrington. Participants chanted "We need a leader, not a creepy tweeter" and sang "God Bless America" and "The Star-Spangled Banner".
Several hundred protesters attended a rally outside the Texas State Capitol in Austin, which was also attended by some Trump supporters. The demonstration was organized by a woman who resides in San Antonio. There were no major speakers; attendees took turns speaking into a megaphone. The rally started at noon and lasted until 3pm. The Baltimore protest was held along North Charles Street in the Station North Arts and Entertainment District. It lasted into the evening and, according to CBS Baltimore, had a reportedly "different tone than elsewhere in the rest of the country, with less protesting, more talking". Michele Minnick and Laura Pazuchowski were co-organizers of the event, which also attracted dozens of Trump supporters. A group called "Bad and Nasty' Baltimore" organized a day of art and activism, which included face painting, sign making, and a workshop titled "Our Democratic Heritage". Entrance to the event was on a sliding scale up to $10, with proceeds benefiting the state's chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union (Maryland ACLU).
In Chicago, hundreds of protesters gathered at the intersection of Wacker Drive and Wabash Avenue, across the Chicago River from the Trump International Hotel and Tower. Estimates said there were 1,200 people; police reported no arrests. A group of 25 local musicians known as "Sousaphones Against Hate, Baritones Resisting Aggression" performed for the crowd. Wabash was closed temporarily to both foot and vehicle traffic. Former Governor of Illinois, Pat Quinn, was at the protest gathering signatures for a ballot initiative. A demonstration also took place in Columbia, South Carolina. About 40 people gathered at a rally in front of Great Barrington, Massachusetts' Town Hall.
In Kansas City, Missouri, demonstrators gathered at Country Club Plaza's J. C. Nichols Fountain, in the Country Club District. More than 1,600 people indicated their interest in attending on the event's Facebook page, which was organized to "demand an investigation into the constitutional conflicts, ethics violations and mental instability of the current President of the United States". Several groups were represented and spoke at the protest, including: Indivisible KC, Kansas City Progressive Caucus, The Muslim Civic Initiative, and Edward Cantu, an associate law professor at the University of Missouri–Kansas City. The Knoxville, Tennessee protest was organized by David T. Payne and held at Market Square. Only 18 people expressed interest in attending the event on its Facebook page, and fewer than ten individuals ended up participating. The protest reportedly saw a handful of people debating with a single Trump supporter. KTNV-TV initially reported on a "Not My Presidents Day" rally in Las Vegas, but later said the "People's Power Over the President Day" protest organized by Sierra Club was unaffiliated. The anti-Trump "People's Power" event was held outside the Lloyd D. George Federal Courthouse, in downtown Las Vegas, and attracted dozens of participants.
Demonstrators in Milwaukee protested peacefully against Trump and Senator Ron Johnson, and in support of immigration and women's rights. They marched from Zeidler Union Square to the Federal Building. Milwaukee Coalition Against Trump organized the demonstration; Citizen Action Organizing Cooperative was also represented. Mystic, Connecticut held a protest of around 60 demonstrators who marched through the downtown area. In Rapid City, South Dakota, hundreds of anti-Trump and Trump supporters turned out at a rally that began at noon.
Salt Lake City saw between 200 and 250 protesters march from the Wallace F. Bennett Federal Building down State Street to Washington Square. The rally included representatives and speakers from community groups, including Utah Women Unite, Utahans Against Police Brutality, SLC Air Protectors, and Communidades Unidas. In Seattle, organizers held a performance event called "Outrage Onstage", featuring activists and artists, including David Schmader and Teatro ZinZanni's Kevin Kent. The event was held at the Sanctuary at Admiral in West Seattle's Admiral District. "Outrage Onstage" was free to attend, but donations were accepted to benefit the state's ACLU chapter.
In Washington, D.C., hundreds of protesters rallied in DuPont Circle, where they sang "We Shall Overcome" and then marched toward the White House. More than 500 people attended the rally. Speakers included Lee Carter and Ken Boddye, who are running for the Virginia House of Delegates. More than 200 people came out for a rally held in Williamsburg, Virginia. The event was organized by Peninsula Indivisible and Middle Peninsula Progressives. Attendees at the rally were able to sign post cards to be sent to the White House and sign petitions.
California
Over a thousand people attended the rally outside Los Angeles City Hall in downtown Los Angeles. It was estimated that there were several thousand people at the demonstration. Participants gathered outside City Hall, and then ended up at Federal Plaza. Los Angeles was the first city to plan a "Not My Presidents Day" rally. The event caused some traffic delays. Later, in West Hollywood, a gay bar called The Abbey held a #Resist protest.
In Palm Desert, hundreds of people assembled outside the Palm Desert Civic Park Amphitheater for a two-hour rally organized by Progressive Democrats of the Desert and Courageous Resistance. There were about a dozen speakers, including one from Comité Latino Coachella Valley.
A small gathering in Pasadena was organized by a group of concerned mothers and their children, led by Jenna Karvunidis. The theatre, film and digital production department of the University of California, Riverside, held an artistic event to protest Trump on Monday. Around 100 people attended a demonstration in San Diego. Protests were also held outside the San Francisco Federal Building and at San Jose's City Hall Plaza. About 30 protesters gathered in stormy weather in San Mateo. Protests were also organized in Anaheim and Santa Barbara.
Colorado The Denver protest, which was organized by Hanna Khavafipour, included several hundred demonstrators and took place in the evening at the Colorado State Capitol. The 16th Street Mall and nearby streets were shut down for about two hours, but no arrests were made and businesses experienced few disturbances. A small group of protesters in Pueblo were organized by the Pueblo Congressional Accountability Committee (PCAC).
Florida In Florida, events were planned in Gainesville, Miami, Venice, and West Palm Beach. The protests in Miami and Palm Beach were organized by South Florida Activism and included a gathering at Palm Beach International Airport, where some participants turned their backs to Trump's motorcade en route to Mar-a-Lago and wore shirts that displayed "No 45". There were around 200 demonstrators who participated by turning their backs on Trump. The Labor Community Roundtable/United Front Against Trump held a peaceful rally at The Torch of Friendship in Miami. About two dozen people attended. In Ocala, the CommonCents Ocala, a local chapter of the indivisible movement, hosted a rally on East Silver Springs Boulevard by Downtown Square. The event attracted around 80 people. In Port Richey, Trump protesters and supporters stood across the street from each other in a mostly peaceful demonstration.
Michigan In Ann Arbor, organizers of a "Bad Hombres and Nasty Women" event featuring live performances expected an attendance of 600 people; proceeds benefited Planned Parenthood. The event took place at the Neutral Zone and included performance art and comedy. Another artistic outlet protesting Trump took place in Detroit, where performers and audience members met at a venue called the Light Box, where they raised money for the ACLU of Michigan.
In downtown Grand Rapids, between 200 and 300 demonstrators gathered at Rosa Parks Circle and marched to Calder Plaza. The protest was organized by Indivisible West Michigan. Dozens of protesters gathered outside the U.S. Postal Service building at the corner of Third and Washington streets in Marquette. The event was led by Anne Stark.
Minnesota A protest occurred in Minneapolis, with demonstrators protesting outside the Walker Art Center. Students for a Democratic Society and anti-Trump activists held a rally on the University of Minnesota campus in Saint Paul. At bus stops in both Minneapolis and Saint Paul, artists and musicians performed at an event called "This Machine (Not My President's Day Minneapolis Saint Paul)". The performances took place from 4:30–6pm, with participants wearing orange.
New Jersey