Protesters gather at the SC State House to fight Project 2025 (with photo gallery)

More than 100 protesters rallied at the South Carolina Statehouse on Wednesday to protest the massive changes taking place under President Trump.

The protest was part of a nationwide grassroot coalition, the 50501 movement, formed to fight against Project 2025, a conservative playbook designed to guide the new Trump administration. The goal of the movement was to spur 50 protests in 50 states, all in the same day. There was no central organization behind the events nationwide besides a social media account and a website. 

The South Carolina protest was organized by Columbia residents Blake Justice and Haley Weaver. The couple started a Facebook page for the event and acquired a permit to be at the Statehouse. 

“Haley and I were hanging out after I got off work one night, and started seeing a little bit of movement online about it,” Justice said. “We decided, why not? We’ve been wanting to get more involved for a while now and saw the opportunity – and took it.”

The attendees gathered in a circle around various volunteer speakers who passed around a megaphone. The speakers expressed their opinions on a number of topics.

“It’s an encompassing of all the rights that are being taken away and the demolition of our constitutional rights,” said attendee Emily Rakestraw. “I mean the President, who is currently in power, President Trump, is making decisions that he has no right to make, and on a variety of topics, from the education department, to sending immigrants to Guantanamo Bay.”

One of the topics of concern was women’s reproductive rights. For one 53-year-old grandmother and mother who wanted to remain anonymous, the topic of women’s health and reproductive rights is very important. 

“I think that women’s reproductive rights is something that I feel very strongly about,” she said. “I’ve had two miscarriages. I had an ectopic pregnancy that almost killed me.”

A middle-aged man in attendance, who also asked for anonymity, said he had multiple reasons to protest.

“I’m out here protesting everything from what we’re about to do in Gaza, to what we’re doing on the home front, to natives, to everybody,” he said. “It’s women, it’s the LGBT community, it’s, it’s, it’s the entire spectrum of the left that is being attacked by this. This is how Nazi Germany happened. If you’re not out in the street, we’re all going to be goose stepping. I mean, most of us will – some of us will be in determent camps – but that’s the situation.”

He also had opinions on President Trump. 

“Trump is trying to do everything he can to stop us from actually continuing our democracy,” the man said. “He wants an oligarchy, and that’s it, ruled by the billionaires.”

Much of the crowd was made up of young adults. For one 20-year-old in attendance, Christian Diaz, it meant a lot to see young people there. 

“I can’t stress it enough that more young people should be coming out,” Diaz said. “You never know what you can learn. You never know who you might meet. There’s a lot of different people, a lot of different connections you can make. It is super important right now, in this time, especially in the next four years.”

While there was no organization behind Wednesday’s event, the protest was supported by the Democratic Party of South Carolina. It provided a podium for later speakers, a sound system and printed flyers, Weaver said. 

“You know, like this is way bigger than we ever thought it was gonna be,” Weaver said. “We literally, I think on Monday had 30 or 40 people saying they would come, like, just friends. So we’re very proud, and, like, you know, honored that we could help do this.”

Rep. Wendell Gilliard, D-Charleston, came to the podium at the end of the protest.

“I have finally witnessed, we, the people, the power,” Gilliard said. “This is where the power lies: within you. Remember this: We work for you. The only way, the only way you’re gonna make a change is what you’re doing right here.”