A crowd of hundreds of Arkansans turned out at the state Capitol on a chilly, windy Saturday morning to voice their anger toward President Donald Trump and his effective co-ruler, Elon Musk, in the largest such protest in Little Rock so far this year.
After gathering on the Capitol steps at 10 a.m., the self-styled “People’s March” headed down Capitol Avenue to downtown Little Rock and on to the River Market district, where dozens of local groups had set up an “organizing fair” for various campaigns and causes.
I’d estimate the peak crowd at around 450 — significantly larger than similar rallies in recent weeks, though still nowhere near the thousands-strong protest and march at the Capitol that greeted Trump’s first term in 2017.
I also noticed a good number of youthful people. The last time I checked out an anti-Trump rally, in February, I couldn’t facilitate but notice what a huge fraction of attendees were silver haired; the median age was much younger this time and the crowd a bit more diverse (though still very white).
The energy was high, if a bit unfocused. Signs decried “oligarchy” and Elon Musk, the retrenchment of abortion access and LGBT rights, Trump’s betrayal of Ukraine, the coming crackdown on immigrants, and on and on. “Love, not hate / Makes America great,” was the main chant that sustained protesters marching through downtown. And, sporadically: “No Trump / No KKK / No fascist U-S-A.”
Even in a state as blood-red as Arkansas, liberals and leftists are fired up. Just in the last 10 days, they’ve rallied in front of Congressman French Hill’s office, at Hot Springs National Park, and at the Capitol to protest funding cuts for scientific research. Make sure to check out reporter Phillip Powell’s dispatch from the science rally on Friday, which included conversations with federal workers who’ve been abruptly fired due to Musk’s indiscriminate cuts.
The question remains whether momentum will keep growing, but for those looking for signs of life from Arkansas’s anti-Trump minority, Saturday was another hopeful sign. The passion and outrage are clearly there. Will the leadership and organizational structure arise to harness it?
The Facebook page for the event has tons of photos and videos from Saturday’s march, but here are a few more:
