Hundreds show up for 'March Fourth Against Monarchy' protest in Phoenix
PHOENIX - Hundreds of protesters gathered for a third time this year at the Arizona State Capitol and rallied along with others across the nation against the Trump administration.
Big picture view:
People who joined the March Fourth Against Monarchy say the White House’s latest decisions are only deepening their concerns.
The rally started at noon on March 4 and continued for four hours with fresh frustration brewing over the treatment of Ukraine, and the feeling that the U.S. is losing democracy to an oligarchy.
The Arizona Capitol was awash in blue and yellow as hundreds of local residents organized nationally on social media and rallied in solidarity with Ukraine.
Ukrainians in Arizona react to Russia-Ukraine peace talks, hope standoff between Trump and Zelenskyy ends
On March 3, President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social that Ukrainian President Volodmyr Zelenskyy doesn't want peace, but locals with ties to the war-torn country disagree.
What they're saying:
"After what we witnessed last week and the treatment of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Oval Office, I feel this issue has been reignited and people are starting to see the light," a rally-goer said.
Some say the administration is made up of billionaires and mega-millionaires perceived as power-hungry.
"We’ve got un-elected billionaires who are sifting through personal information as if they are kings, and they are ruling without decree, which is something kings typically do without the other branches of government. There’s a reason we have those other branches of government for checks and balances and, right now, they don’t exist," another rally-goer said.
Hand-made posters expressed disgust with Trump and Elon Musk. Some dressed as the old-school American banker J.P. Morgan, and others as handmaidens.
"If Friday didn’t shake the people up that voted for him, I don’t know what else can shake people up," a rally-goer said. "I guess next on the chopping block, maybe they’ll come out when social security gets chopped. But everybody is affected by this presidency, everybody is."
Zelenskyy says he's ready to work for peace after 'regrettable' Oval Office spat
The Ukrainian president’s comments Tuesday came after the Trump administration announced a pause on military aid to Ukraine.
The other side:
Three nationwide protests now have evoked no attention from President Trump, who says Musk has helped save taxpayers more than $105 billion and pins the lack of peace on Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy.
His supporters stand by him, and point to the fact that Trump’s presidential victory marks the first time in 20 years a Republican has won the popular vote.
"The ‘renewal of the American dream,’" a supporter said. "And the renewal of the American dream is underway already. Look at all that President Trump has accomplished."
These protests were set to happen across all 50 states.
Protesters say they believe these rallies will make a difference, and that it will sustain momentum against the administration and broaden the coalition.