For many protesters, enduring the discomfort of a downpour that soaked through clothes and signs alike was worth standing up to what they said is an increasingly authoritarian President Donald Trump.
Hundreds of demonstrators in two rallies lined the streets of downtown Akron and Highland Square on April 19 as part of the nationwide 50501 anti-Trump protests.
Many held signs and yelled chants condemning what they called executive overreach like Elon Musk ordering federal cuts, the administration ignoring court orders and the dismantling and defunding of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
Protesters hold signs at an Ohio 50501 protest along West Market Street in Akron’s Highland Square on Saturday, April 19, 2025.
For Kelly McNeill and Carolyn Kaplan, the Trump administration has repeatedly ignored the U.S. Constitution and courts while promoting misogynistic and racist ideals. His actions, they said, are ruining lives.
“You gotta do something. You have to use your voice,” said McNeill, who also attended the Hands Off! rally in Akron held on April 5.
The 50501 protest aims to have 50 protests in 50 states as part of one movement, according to the 50501 national website.
A protester marches up the middle of West Market Street in Akron’s Highland Square neighborhood during an Ohio 50501 protest on April 19.
Standing up for nonprofits
Nikki Crawford walked up and down the sidewalks in Highland Square holding an LGBTQ Pride version of the Gadsden “don’t tread on me” flag. She occasionally stopped to talk, cheer and chant with the crowd.
A local activist with Indivisible Akron and the Summit Action Committee, Crawford said the Trump administration’s decision to cut funding and dismantle federal departments has caused many interconnected problems. In some cases, those issues have trickled down to the local level.
Nikki Crawford marches up West Market Street in Akron’s Highland Square neighborhood during an Ohio 50501 rally on April 19.
“This administration has targeted those by going after their funding,” said Crawford, who works for a nonprofit with a focus on violence prevention. “Akron is so community-driven, and it has so many initiatives that will be affected.”
Crawford encouraged everyone to get involved and stand up for local nonprofits and against an administration that deprioritizes, by way of defunding, social programs.
“The hardest part is putting one foot in the door,” she said. “It’s about showing up, signing petitions and getting connected.”
Concerned about white supremacy
A protester confronts a pro-Trump supporter during an Ohio 50501 protest along West Market Street in Akron’s Highland Square on April 19.
For Wendel Niles of Canton, the dismantling of federal agencies, increased deportations and stricter voting laws are signs that America’s democracy is in decline, but he said there are demographic reasons for these decisions.
The 2020 U.S. Census showed the nation’s White population declined for the first time, while the number of people who identified as Hispanic, Black and Asian American populations increased, USA Today reported in 2021.
“This is all about White supremacy,” Niles said. “You get rid of democracy and you stay in power.”
He said the Trump administration’s actions will disproportionately hurt non-white people.
“I felt like I had to do something,” he said, standing in downtown Akron. “I feel like I have to fight.”
Bryce Buyakie covers courts and public safety for the Beacon Journal. He can be reached by email at bbuyakie@gannett.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @bryce_buyakie.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Akron rallygoers participate in nationwide protest against Trump
Read the full article here
