Video: Scenes from protest in Eugene
Crowds of thousands of people showed up Saturday for a protest outside the Eugene City Hall.
- Hundreds of protests organized by the 50501 Movement are planned nationwide on April 19, including several in Oregon.
- The protests aim to address concerns about the Trump administration, including cuts by the Department of Government Efficiency, stock market impacts, immigration and cost of living.
- The 50501 Movement is a grassroots initiative started on social media, advocating for sustained resistance against the Trump administration.
Hundreds of protests are planned across the country April 19 to push back against what organizers and supporters argue is a dangerous Trump administration, with several in Oregon.
Organized by the 50501 Movement, a grassroots initiative born on social media, nearly 700 protests are planned April 19 as a “sustained resistance in order to make a difference.” The group is hoping to keep the momentum following successful April 9 protests that they said drew crowds totaling more than 5 million across the U.S.
Among the issues local groups are targeting are cuts by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, stock market impacts due to President Donald Trump’s tariffs, immigration and the cost of living.
Is there a 50501 protest near me? See 50501 Oregon protests
As of April 18, protests organized by local groups across the nation had risen to 680. The Register-Guard found 15 events planned in Oregon.
- Beaverton: Farmington Rd near Hall Boulevard
- Bend: Drake Park
- Corvallis: 120 NW Fourth St.
- Dallas: Main Street and Ellendale Avenue
- Eugene:
- East Eighth Avenue and Oak Street (50501)
- East Sixth Ave and Pearl Street (Rebel Against Oligarchs)
- Gold Beach: 29821 Ellensburg Ave.
- Grants Pass: 500 NW Sixth St.
- Klamath Falls: South Sixth Street and Washburn Way
- Portland:
- Roseburg: Northwest Garden Valley Boulevard
- Salem: Center and Summer streets
- Tigard: 10069 SW Cascade Ave.
What’s planned for Eugene’s protests?
As part of 50501, protesters in Eugene plan to surround the Saturday Market, which takes place at the Eugene “Park blocks” at the intersection of East Eighth Avenue and Oak Street. Protesters plan to stay in the road ways (which are typically closed for the market anyway) and the area in front of the Lane County Public Service Building. Protesters plan for the event to last from noon to 3 p.m.
In addition, the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 085 union will be holding a “Rebel Against Oligarchs” event starting at noon at 6th Avenue and Pearl Street, protesting President Donald Trump’s proposed tax cuts for the wealthy.
Why is there a 50501 protest on April 19?
The 50501 Movement is calling April 19 a “Day of Action,” asking local organizers to launch their own protests to protest Trump’s “abuse of executive power, the SAVE Act and the potential misuse of the Insurrection Act of 1807,” according to organizers.
Supporters on April 19 will lend support to Americans who have lost their jobs, have been impacted by the stock market crashing due to Trump’s tariff announcements, lost access to food (from food stamps cuts and food pantries struggling to keep up) and trying to meet hikes in the cost of living, according to the movement’s Substack page.
The events in Tigard and Macadam Avenue in Portland will be “Tesla Takedown” events protesting billionaire and Tesla CEO Musk.
What is the 50501 movement?
The 50501 Movement is a grassroots initiative that originated on the social platform Reddit, as well as on other sites, under the hashtag #50501. It was built on the idea of 50 protests, 50 states, in one day.
The movement led to nationwide mobilization on Feb. 5, urging supporters and local groups to take a stand at the nation’s capitals days after Trump’s inauguration and has since expanded to multiple rallies and protests, including an April 5 rally that 5.2 million people attended nationally according to the group, and the April 9 rally dubbed “Hands Off.” The 50501 Movement’s organizers have urged “peaceful” protests, and urge supporters to also host nature cleanups and food drives to make a difference in their community.
The 50501 group states on their website their 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.”
Alan Torres covers local government for the Register-Guard. He can be reached by email at [email protected], on X @alanfryetorres or on Reddit at u/AlfrytRG.
USA Today Network Connect Reporter Lori Comstock contributed to this story.
