Protests in Fresno continued as approximately 250 people attended a march at Fresno City Hall in coordination with the decentralized 50501 (50 protests, 50 states, one day) movement on Feb. 17, 2025.
On 50501’s website, it states that it is responding to the “anti-democratic and illegal actions of the Trump administration and its plutocratic allies.” The No Kings Day protests followed up on the first 50501 protests on Feb. 5, 2025, which took place at every state capitol building.
The protest coincided with Presidents Day and was marked by criticisms of President Donald Trump’s administration, Elon Musk’s role through the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and local Fresno politicians.
Local advocate Jennifer Cruz, spoke through a megaphone to the crowd, calling for pressure on local leaders including Fresno County’s Board of Supervisors and Fresno City Council to take a stance against the federal administration’s executive orders.
“We are watching the Constitution be sidestepped at every turn and there doesn’t seem to be consequences,” Cruz said.
Cruz further criticized local governance in Fresno for its treatment of the unhoused community and the Board of Supervisors preventing county buildings from flying pride flags.
“We’ve watched in Fresno as unhoused communities have been tortured, marginalized and criminalized for the last several years,” Cruz said.
Brandi Nuse-Villegas, an organizer of the protest, called out Fresno County Supervisor Garry Bredefeld for his action to rollback diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) language in the hiring process for county jobs.
The crowd overwhelmingly booed in response to the announcement of Bredefeld’s efforts.
Nuse-Villegas noted the protest was organized in a short period of time. Attention to the protest was received on social media including through a post on the official 50501 Instagram account.
Several speakers included faculty instructors at Fresno State and members of local organizations in the Central Valley.
Loretta Kensinger, a professor at Fresno State, noted her 27 year involvement in women’s and gender studies and many interactions with vulnerable students.
“I have seen students who finally have a name for rape, who finally understand what happened to their families; the domestic violence [and the] terrorism was not right [and those] who finally could see themselves as transgender and LGBTQ+ parts of our community,” Kensinger said.
She criticized the rollback of DEI initiatives and called for protecting teachers’ rights to educate and share the “truth.”
“When you have a national order that says ‘I cannot teach the science,’ not the belief, but the science on gender, we are in trouble,” Kensinger said.
Protesters rallied behind Cruz who led a march from Fresno City Hall to the Robert E. Coyle Federal Courthouse while chanting “Hey hey, ho ho, Trump and Musk have got to go.”
Stan Santos, co-chair of local organization Raza Against War, said Trump’s election showed the fragility of U.S. democracy and his tenure “brings shame to the office.”
“[Trump is] reaching out to some of the worst instincts in the community, creating a fear of immigrants, fear of children of different sexual tendencies,” Santos said.
Santos, a foster parent who has had transgender children, said he was worried about the increased hatred against LGBTQ+ minorities and the transgender community in particular.
“They’re turning them into monsters in a sense, something to be feared and dehumanized,” Santos said.
Ronnie Kassis, a protestor, felt that fascism in the U.S. has only grown with the involvement of Musk in governance.
Santos pointed to his support of the far right political party Alternative for Germany (AfD) and violations of worker protections as signs of his ideals.
Kassis felt organization and unity were the only way to stop political figures like Musk and Trump.
“As I say with the Germans, they ignored it and look what happened, you have Hitler,” Kassis said. “Don’t think it can happen here, it already has been happening.”
