Her Campus Logo Her Campus Logo
Culture > News

What Is The 50501 Movement? The Protest Org’s Name & Origins, Explained

Although President Donald Trump has only been in office less than 100 days, he has made a flurry of executive orders and declarations thus far in his presidency that have impacted millions of Americans. From deploying mass deportations, to withdrawing from worldwide organizations, to enacting high tariffs on foreign countries, Trump’s actions have left many Americans feeling angry and fearful of the future, and they’re not shying away from speaking up about their grievances. Protests against Trump have been common ever since his first term — the historic Women’s March took place as a result of his inauguration in 2017 — and Americans are ready to march for their beliefs and rights again in 2025. 

In late 2024, the 50501 Movement was born as a response to the second Trump administration. 50501 stands for “50 protests in 50 states in 1 day.” The movement started on Reddit, in r/50501, and quickly spread, gaining traction across social media from activists and grassroots organizers. The group’s first protests took place on Feb. 5, 2025, with over 80 protests being held in all 50 states. A month later, on March 4, another round of protests took place. On April 5, 2025, the largest protest yet saw participants take to the streets in over 1,200 events across the United States and beyond to speak out against Trump and his allies.

“Our movement shows the world that the American working class will not sit idly by as plutocrats rip apart their democratic institutions and civil liberties while undermining the rule of law,” says the 50501 website.

The movement is made up entirely of volunteers and has three key commitments: commitment to inclusivity, commitment to nonviolence, and commitment to peaceful conflict resolution. “Our approach emphasizes respect, fairness, and long-term solutions that strengthen relationships and contribute to lasting stability in the movement,” the website says.

Next up, 50501 is calling for protests in all 50 states again on Saturday, April 19. In an Instagram post, the organization shared its goal was to have 3.5% of the population participate. Historically, protests that have engaged 3.5% of the population (or around 11 million people in the U.S.) have never failed to bring about change in some capacity.

Although the 50501 movement was created to engage in protest throughout the United States, the movement has been observed by people around the globe. Protests supporting the 50501 movement have taken place around the world, with demonstrations seen in France, Austria, the U.K., Mexico, and more. TikTok user @whumpitup from the U.K. posted a video in response to the movement saying, “America … we see you. We’re so proud of you.”

Anyone interested in joining or following along with the 50501 movement can follow the organization on social media or sign up to receive information in its mailing list. With over 200,000 followers on Instagram and an estimated 5.2 million protesters showing up on April 5, the movement is showing no signs of slowing down anytime soon.

Jordyn Stapleton has been a National Lifestyle Writer for Her Campus since February 2023. She covers a variety of topics in her articles, but is most passionate about writing about mental health and social justice issues.

Jordyn graduated from CU Boulder in December 2022 with Bachelor’s degrees in music and psychology with a minor in gender studies and a certificate in public health. Jordyn was involved in Her Campus during college, serving as an Editorial Assistant and later Editor-in-Chief for the CU Boulder chapter. She has also worked as a freelance stringer for the Associated Press. Jordyn is currently working towards a Master of Public Health degree from the Colorado School of Public Health.

Jordyn enjoys reading, bullet journaling, and listening to (preferably Taylor Swift) music in her free time. If she isn’t brainstorming her next article, you can usually find her exploring Colorado with her friends and silver lab puppy.