Wisconsin State Capitol
Madison, WI
2/17/2025
Since January 20, 2025, the day Donald J. Trump invaded the White House for the second time. He did so with the help of many everyday people who believed his promises to get rid of things he said were making the United States worse than a third-world country. In addition, he used fear-mongering, a common tactic in the republican playbook and that of dictators and fascists around the world and throughout time. The sad success of this has brought what I call the Trump Reich to power, and he and his ilk are wreaking havoc with every government entity they can get their hands on. Through 65 executive orders, thus far, he has acted like nothing more than a thug and wannabe dictator. Further, he brought along non-US citizen Elon Musk, who bankrolled Trump’s final push for office this time. One can only speculate on the promises Trump made Musk if he could deliver the White House to Trump. Musk leads the newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), whose purpose is to root out inefficiency in the government through modernization of its technology and software systems, which will identify where money is being wasted, claiming it can effectively perform forensic audits. A forensic audit, as most can guess, requires precision and careful research to identify where the sources of waste are hiding. Thus far, DOGE has used sledgehammers where scalpels were needed. To say We the People are pissed is an understatement!
Today is the second mass protest against Trump and his dismantling of the Constitution, democracy, and the United States as we know it. In cities around the US, protesters gathered at state capitols to speak out and march. Madison answered the call, as it had been many times before. Several hundred people braved sub-zero temperatures to lend their voice and express their disgust with Trump and his ilk. Various speakers talked about the billionaires’ dismantling of our country. And in a show of solidarity, many marched outside the Wisconsin State Capitol building. While the numbers paled in comparison to the 2011 protests, it was heartening to see so many show up at noon on a Monday in February!
To be clear, there is a lot that needs changing. But it’s not government offices and departments. It’s the narrow-mindedness and quest for power and thirst for greed among primarily white males afraid of the nonexistent boogeypeople the MAGA party has told people are coming for everything you hold dear.
An organization called We The People of Wisconsin has taken on the call to organize action in Madison and possibly elsewhere in Wisconsin. However, there is a lack of transparency about who is behind this new political organization. Its Facebook page simply says, “Nonprofit organization · Political Organization,” which is there by default based on what the registrant entered when creating the page. So, while it is heartening that a group is attempting to organize protests against the fascists taking over our country as you are reading this and looking at the pictures, knowing who the people are in collaboration with at these protests would be nice. Additionally, there are many, many political organizations in Madison led by well-established activists and organizers who can send a call for action to their members, which would increase the impact of protests like the one I documented today.
From the event's Facebook page:
We cordially invite you to rally with us on the National Day of Protest!
We will be gathering at the State Capitol in Madison, WI on Monday, February 17th at 12pm. Meet us at the Forward Statue to continue to show your voices against Trump's oligarch fueled facist regime that he is trying to instill.
He has continued to defy the Constitution by implementing things like a Department of Faith in the White House, ignoring the separation of Church and state. He is targeting minorities on a vast scale, including women now, with a proposed bill to not allow anyone to vote whose ID doesn’t match their birth certificate - Any women who have taken their husband’s last name? That includes you.
Elon, under Trump’s watch, has stolen our sensitive Financial information. There are schools closing due to the defunding of the deparment of education. The list goes on, and on.
So please come out with us and show we won't allow this to happen!
Note: I am not affiliated with any political organizations. I am an independent freelance photographer covering marches, protests, and rallies in Madison, Wisconsin, documenting the people's right to free speech and their right to organize.
