Protesters in Toms River rally against Trump policies: ‘Hands Off’
Demonstrators gathered in front of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs building on Hooper Avenue to express their concerns about Trump’s policies.
Hundreds of protests are planned across the country Saturday to push back against what organizers and supporters argue is a dangerous Trump administration.
Organized by the 50501 Movement, a grassroots initiative born on social media, nearly 700 protests are planned April 19 as a “sustained resistance in order to make a difference.” The group is hoping to keep the momentum following successful April 9 protests that they claim drew crowds totaling more than 5 million across the U.S.
Among the issues local groups are targeting include cuts by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, stock market impacts due to President Donald Trump’s tariffs, immigration and cost of living.
Here’s what to know about the 50501 Movement, where protests are being held and what other events are planned.
Is there a 50501 protest near me? See 50501 NJ protests
As of Friday, protests organized by local groups across the nation had risen to over 660 —up from 610 on Thursday.
In New Jersey, there are as of Friday eight protests planned:
Trenton is considered the main protest in New Jersey and will begin at noon on Saturday. Organizers will host two protests against billionaire and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, dubbed “Tesla Takedown” events, in Springfield and Eatontown on April 19.
Why is there a 50501 protest on Saturday? Why protest April 19?
The 50501 Movement is calling April 19 a “Day of Action,” asking local organizers to launch their own protests on Saturday to protest Trump’s “abuse of executive power, the SAVE Act and the potential misuse of the Insurrection Act of 1807,” according to organizers.
Supporters on Saturday will lend support to Americans who have lost their jobs, have been impacted by the stock market crashing due to Trump’s tariff announcements, lost access to food (food stamps, food pantries struggling to keep up) and trying to meet hikes in the cost of living, according to the movement’s Substack page.
What is the 50501 Movement?
The 50501 Movement is a grassroots initiative that was born on the social platform Reddit as well as through other sites under the hashtag #50501, which was built on the idea of 50 protests, 50 states, one day.
The movement led to nationwide mobilization on Feb. 5, urging supporters and local groups to take a stand at the nation’s capitals days after Trump’s inauguration and has since expanded to multiple rallies and protests, including an April 9 rally dubbed “Hands Off.” The 50501 Movement’s organizers have urged “peaceful” protests, and urge supporters to also host nature cleanups and food drives to make a difference in their community.
The 50501 group states on their website their movements “shows the world that the American working class will not sit idly by as plutocrats rip apart their democratic institutions and civil liberties while undermining the rule of law.”
Lori Comstock is a New Jersey-based journalist with the Mid-Atlantic Connect Team.
