Activists Rally Against Trump Policies and Musk’s Government Takeover
Hundreds of demonstrators took to the streets of West Hollywood on Saturday, March 23, in a pro-democracy, anti-Trump, and anti-Elon Musk protest, voicing their outrage over recent political developments and government actions. Many of the protesters who gathered in West Hollywood came from different districts of the city.
Protesters gathered on Santa Monica Boulevard and marched to La Cienega, holding colorful signs and chanting slogans in opposition to Trump administration policies and Musk’s controversial Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which has rapidly fired thousands of government employees and taken control of government offices and digital systems and is named after an Internet meme.
The demonstration was organized by Democracy Action Network and Indivisible Los Angeles, which has pledged continued action in the coming weeks.
The protesters’ concerns varied, with some expressing alarm over the direction of the country and the fear many communities feel.
“I am concerned for my students not coming to school because they’re afraid,” one LAUSD teacher told Fox 11 News. “I just think our country is going the wrong way right now.”
Others echoed similar sentiments:
- “There are some terrible things going on in this country, and no one seems to be paying much attention.”
- “What drew us out was seeing other people starting to speak out. And I think that all of us need to let our leaders know that we’re not happy with what’s going on.”
The West Hollywood protest follows the Tesla Takedown protests, which have been ongoing for two weeks at Tesla showrooms in North Hollywood, Long Beach, and Pasadena. Organized through the Action Network website, the movement urges people to:
- Sell their Teslas
- Dump Tesla stock
- Join picket lines at Tesla showrooms
The protest’s mission, as stated on the website, is clear: “Hurting Tesla is stopping Musk. Stopping Musk will help save lives and our democracy.”, making note of the fact that the billionaire’s wealth is largely made up of the stock he holds in Tesla and SpaceX.
Actor and filmmaker Alex Winter has been instrumental in organizing these efforts on Bluesky, rallying opposition to Musk’s influence over government operations.
The demonstrations also come amid a wave of student protests against Trump’s immigration policies and threats of mass deportations. Over a week and a half, students across Los Angeles have staged walkouts, with some shutting down the 101 Freeway in defiance of new federal actions. Many of the student protests on the Westside were mobilized on social media.
Organizers say they plan to continue mobilizing protests, emphasizing that civic engagement is crucial in pushing back against what they see as threats to democracy.
