This story was reported and written by our media partner Capital News Service.
Hundreds of people chanted “stop the coup” along with other sentiments, at a rally organized by a motivated eighth grader.
Those in attendance at the Virginia Capitol Wednesday protested President Donald Trump’s recent flurry of executive orders, as well as Elon Musk’s unprecedented access to federal government systems.
The rally came days after WIRED magazine reported employees of Musk’s self-created Department of Government Efficiency were quietly gaining access to sensitive information from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, General Services Administration and the Department of Treasury.
Dia Figueroa is an eighth-grader from Annandale. She organized the rally as part of the grassroots 50501 Movement, an effort to have a protest in each state on Feb. 5. Dia — who attended with her mother — was inspired as an immigrant whose family is directly affected by Trump’s policies.
Dia called to get the permit for the protest and invited people to give speeches. Many of the speakers at the rally were middle and high schoolers, such as Lyn Jones, a 16-year-old writer and human rights activist.
Jones drew comparisons between the rise of Nazi Germany and current-day America. She likened Nazi book burnings to conservatives removing Black and queer history from school curriculums and libraries; and the stripping away of Jewish people’s rights to Trump placing immigrants in Guantanamo Bay and the attempt to revoke birthright citizenship.
“History that goes unlearned is bound to be repeated,” Jones said.
Multiple speakers addressed transgender rights, which they said are being eroded. One speaker who identified as a “trans kid” told the crowd they are terrified for themself and their friends. A mother, who offered the name Jessica, said her transgender son has attempted to take his life seven times and is terrified to go to school because of the “cruelty that is happening right now.”
The Trump administration has moved to prevent youth access to gender-affirming care, with hospitals in Virginia suspending services; limit the bathrooms transgender people can use; require male and female only identifiers on official documents such as passports; and transfer transgender women into mens’ prisons.
The White House has also issued multiple orders cracking down on illegal immigration, such as allowing Immigration Customs and Enforcement to now operate at schools, churches and hospitals, according to the Associated Press.
Del. Alfonso Lopez, D-Arlington, took the podium to say he has 14 family members who will be deported if Trump’s executive orders are allowed to move forward. He’s the first Latino Democrat to be elected to the Virginia House of Delegates.
Lopez also decried Trump’s attempts to dismantle multiple federal government agencies. Thousands of federal workers live in Virginia and worry their livelihoods and homes are at risk.
“This is not the way the United States is supposed to work,” Lopez said. “We are a nation of laws, we are not an autocracy or an oligarchy.”
The crowd chanted “we’re not going back” after Lopez’ speech.
Dia ended the rally promptly at 1:30 p.m. She plans to host more events, including fundraising for organizations like the American Civil Liberties Union.
“We can organize, because there is strength in our united numbers and our voices are the most powerful tool,” Dia said in her speech. “We need to make this happen again and again until they see us.”
The crowd cheered when Dia announced she had never “done something like this,” and said “if I can make this happen, you can too.”
“Long live America, long live democracy,” Dia said.
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin that same day attended the signing of an Executive Order at the White House, which intends to ban transgender women from participating in women’s sports.
Youngkin is excited and encouraged about the Trump administration’s swift actions, he told reporters in a video posted by CBS 6 (WTVR-TV).
“What President Trump is doing, he told everybody ahead of time,” Youngkin said. “There is nothing that he is doing that should be a surprise to folks, and he is moving very quickly.”
The governor said the Trump administration’s efforts have generated tailwinds of economic development, public safety, and “standing up for Americans” that will “help Virginia continue to soar.”
He told reporters he was unaware of the anti-Trump protest happening outside his office.
Capital News Service is a program of Virginia Commonwealth University’s Robertson School of Media and Culture. Students in the program provide state government coverage for a variety of media outlets in Virginia.
