Hundreds of people turned out in Santa Cruz and Monterey on Monday as part of a nationwide wave of Presidents Day demonstrations against Trump administration policies.
In downtown Santa Cruz, more than 700 people gathered along Water Street near the county courthouse. They lined both sides of the street, and some stood in the median, though there did not appear to be any disruption in traffic.
Many people held signs about oligarchy and Elon Musk. Some expressed fears about the fate of democracy, like psychologist Diane Bridgeman.
"It's heartbreaking that we're losing the democracy that we've all worked so hard for over so many years," she said. "And it's not just a different way of looking at the world. It is a truly unprecedented dismantling of our American way of life."
Local artist Taylor Seamount set up an easel and painted the scene.
"I think people being out protesting and standing up for what they believe in is beautiful, and I feel inspired to make art about it," she said.
In Monterey, more than 200 people gathered near the Window on the Bay Waterfront Park along Del Monte Avenue. They carried signs showing support for immigrants and the rule of law, and opposition to actions taken by President Trump and billionaire Elon Musk.
Carmel Valley resident Dianne Travers Gustafson, who held a sign saying “indivisible, love, courage and strength,” said the stakes could not be higher.
“We’ve got our democracy to defend. This is just absolutely appalling, so it’s up to us,” she told KAZU, as passing drivers honked their horns in support of the rally.
There was no visible counter-protesting or police presence at either rally.
A national group calling itself the 50501 Movement—for “50 states, 50 protests, 1 movement”—organized Presidents Day rallies across the country to protest what the group calls "the anti-democratic and illegal actions of the Trump administration." This marks the second nationwide protest by the group, following an event held on Feb. 5.
