Thousands of protesters march around North Carolina Capitol in Raleigh over Trump, Elon Musk actions

Dawn Baumgartner Vaughan and Avi Bajpai, McClatchy Washington Bureau on Feb 5, 2025

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RALEIGH, N.C. — Protesters marched around the North Carolina State Capitol building on Wednesday, part of a nationwide series of demonstrations in state capitals against the new administration of President Donald Trump.

In particular, protesters raised objections that Trump gave an unelected billionaire businessman with no public service experience, Elon Musk, control over government employees, agencies and funding.

The protest started at noon with a few hundred people, which soon grew to what appeared to be well over a thousand people as they marched on the sidewalks around the Capitol grounds in downtown Raleigh. Some marchers broke off and filled Bicentennial Plaza between the N.C. Museum of History and the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences, streaming by the Legislative Building a block away before returning to the Capitol.

Protesters carried handmade signs that said “No Felon, No Elon,” “Stand Up Against Trump or Step Down,” “Stop the Musk Monarchy,” “Stop Trump,” “Egg Prices Down Yet?”, “Stop the Coup,” “Stop the Steal” and “America Hates Nazis.” Chants included “Elon Musk has got to go” and “hate and fear have no place here.”

Elon Musk’s power

Winda Hampton of Durham is concerned over Musk being handed the power of the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, and access to personal data of federal employees.

“The fact that (Trump) has given this civilian power to look at my information — I don’t understand that. I mean, that certainly seems like a breach to me,” she said.

Hampton told The News & Observer she is concerned about all of what Trump has done, “but also my most concerning thing is the fact that he has taken hold of the Treasury Department. And we all know what happened with Trump Foundation, that was basically his piggy bank, so now our Treasury Department is going to be his piggy bank. That’s scary.”

Trump gave Musk access to a federal payment system, The Associated Press reported.

“That scares the hell out of me. I mean, everything he’s done and just closing down ... departments, I think Congress has to be involved in that, and he’s doing it unilaterally, and that’s just not right,” she said.

What America stands for

Among the protesters marching around the Capitol was Ryan Edwards, who was carrying a U.S. flag.

He said he was carrying it because he thinks its “important that people see that the people in power right now are not necessarily what represents the rest of the country, and that this is not the vision that we have for America.”

“I think we stand by messages on the Statue of Liberty, and the importance of accepting people who need help and accepting all kinds of people,” Edwards said. He said he came to the protest because he wants to show people that “version of America.”

Of Trump’s recent actions, Edwards is most concerned about Trump’s proposal to send U.S. citizens who are some criminals to jails in other countries and people’s civil rights being violated.

Protesters included people in their 20s, families with children, middle-aged people and those who are retirement age. There weren’t speeches at the loosely organized march, but a couple of organizers reminded protesters to march on the sidewalks, not the grounds or the streets, and to continue circling the Capitol.

Darlene Khosrowpour carried a “Stop the Steal” sign.

“’Stop the Steal’ is they’re stealing our democracy, they’re stealing our government. Musk has no right in there,” she said.

Khosrowpour said that Musk was only supposed to be making suggestions, and that only Congress should act on those suggestions. “Just one person making a decision is not right. That’s why we have Congress.”

She was one of many protesters who were upset about Trump handing power to Musk, noting how Musk was neither elected to his role nor confirmed by Congress as an appointee.

Candice Davies and JJ van Vickle carried handmade signs that said “Arrest Musk” and Musk’s name with a line through it.

“I’m 70 years old, and I’ve never been so terrified for our democracy or our country. Quite frankly, the division is horrifying, and the circus that’s unfolding around this president is just surreal. And I just can’t sit at home,” Davies said.

Both Davies and van Vickle are co-leaders of Wake County Indivisible, a progressive group.

Van Vickle said much of what Trump and Musk are doing “is illegal, and most of it is immoral, and it needs to stop.”

She said “every day there’s something new to be upset about.”

“I’m really tired of having to defend our democracy. We’ve all got families, we’ve got jobs, we’ve got lives, and to be able to do this (come to the march) is a luxury,” van Vickle said.

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