Race Day Live More than 100 people gathered at the West Virginia Capitol on Wednesday to voice their strong opposition to recent actions from both state and federal Republican leaders.
With protest signs and chants, the group was there to speak out against policies linked to Project 2025, a right-wing agenda by the conservative Heritage Foundation that has started to shape actions under Donald Trump’s presidency.
The protesters were also critical of Elon Musk’s new role in the federal government, expressing worries over how state-level movements are reflecting the changes seen at the national level.
This protest was part of a larger movement, called “50501,” where protests took place in all 50 states on the same day. It was largely organized through social media platforms like Reddit.
In West Virginia, even though there wasn’t a single organization overseeing the protest, a few groups such as the West Virginia arm of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the West Virginia Women’s March joined in.
These groups helped distribute information and connect with people concerned about the growing conservative policies on both a national and state level.
Brianna Griffith, from Montgomery, shared that she joined the protest out of fear for her transgender friends who are being targeted by actions from both state and federal governments.
Griffith, who has been protesting at the state Capitol for years, emphasized how people are growing tired of defending their rights and beliefs against constant challenges. She pointed out how it feels like the country is heading towards something much worse.
“I just feel like we’re losing our democracy to — I hate to say fascism because that sounds extreme, but it feels like it right now,” Griffith said.
“I think the more people out here we get doing things like this, the more our state Legislature will see that they have us to answer to.”
Griffith wore an LGBTQIA Pride flag around her shoulders, joining several other protesters who also wore the flags as symbols of support.
She explained that she had put flags up on her home to show her neighbors that LGBTQIA individuals have an ally nearby, especially as many of her neighbors displayed Trump flags.
Griffith said it was important for people to speak out and show their support for each other in tough times.
Aaron Allred, a former Legislative Auditor for West Virginia, also attended the protest. Allred expressed deep concerns over the lack of safeguards in place to limit power in both the state and federal governments.
He criticized the proposed federal actions, such as freezing federal grants and targeting Medicare and Medicaid, which could negatively impact residents in West Virginia and Appalachia, where many voted for Trump.
Allred pointed out that people should expect checks and balances in the government, no matter their political views.
If Congress does not act as a check on the power of people like Musk and Trump, then peaceful protests would be necessary to bring attention to these issues.
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On the state level, Allred is worried about the growing influence of the Republican supermajority in the Legislature.
He specifically mentioned a bill passed last year that reduced the powers of the Legislative Auditor’s Office, a body traditionally seen as a safeguard for government transparency.
Now, the office answers only to the Senate president and House speaker, and no audits or reports can be released without their approval.
Allred said this takes away the independence and transparency that was once key to holding the government accountable.
“They’ve taken off guardrails that are important for the government to function properly,” Allred explained. “
In my 31 years [at the Legislative Auditor’s Office], no one ever told me what I could look at what I could audit, and what I could publish.
You’ve got to have an independent voice that tells the truth with facts, and I think we’re walking away from that. In the long run, that will bite us in the rear.”
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