Hundreds of demonstrators lined Los Osos Valley Road on Presidents Day to protest President Donald Trump and Elon Musk.
Organized by local members of Indivisible, a national activist group, the rally was one of four held across the county protesting Trump and Musk’s policies. Event organizer Andy Unruh estimated 500 people were in attendance. While the crowd was primarily composed of community members, some Cal Poly students also participated.
Protesters held signs reading “END THE TRUMP-MUSK COUP NOW” and “DEMOCRACY NOT AUTOCRACY” as speakers addressed the crowd and chanted, “The people united will never be defeated.”
Unruh said he was motivated to organize the protest due to recent actions by the Trump Administration, which he claimed is “not a way to run a country.” He expressed surprise at the turnout, which was larger than expected.
“It shows people really, really care,” Unruh said.
This protest was part of a wave of Presidents Day protests throughout the nation, particularly in East Coast cities and Washington, D.C., the Associated Press reports. The rallies followed a series of Trump executive orders and came just days following layoffs across federal agencies as part of an effort to reduce the government workforce.
Six members of the Cal Poly Democrats club also attended Monday’s protest, according to Jordan Schleifer, club vice president and a political science senior. Schleifer said they attended in support of civil servants and described the turnout as “insane.”
“I thought it was just going to be our group of Cal Poly Democrats and eight other people, but there’s got to be at least hundreds of people over here,” Schleifer said.
Demonstrators voiced frustrations on various issues. While some protested income inequality, others expressed anger over layoffs and the newly-formed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Cars honked as they drove through the intersection, prompting protesters to cheer, wave signs and ring cowbells. However, not all responses were in support of the event. One man in a car rolled down his car window as he drove by and yelled, “Go Trump, baby.”