SALT LAKE CITY — Cheers, chants and even some boos were heard from the steps of the Utah State Capitol Saturday afternoon.
2,500 people gathered to carry out the 50501 Movement, which stands for “50 Protests, 50 States, 1 Movement” and is meant to protest the current Trump administration.
“That’s the point of our democracy is to come speak our minds to the people that are supposed to represent us, and if we don’t feel like they’re representing us, then we need to come here and show them that that’s not what the constituents want,” said Utah resident Scout Hamilton.
Hamilton is no stranger to protests. She attended the “Hands Off” protest that took place several weeks ago. However, she said there is one big difference this time around.
WATCH: Utahns join nationwide 'Hands Off' protest movement en masse
“Unfortunately, I don’t see the same crowds, but I think that just comes with people getting more and more discouraged by what’s happening out there,” Hamilton said.
However, this was the first time for others.
“I’ve actually literally never voted my entire life," said another Utah resident, Cynthia Sandoval. “You have to be pretty bad at politics for me to notice.“
Sandoval said her family came to the United States legally from Mexico, and she knew she needed to get involved after hearing news about Immigration and Customs Enforcement encounters.
“I was born here, but my older sister came here with my parents from Mexico, also not being documented, and so although it's not happening directly to my family, I'm taking it personally because I feel like it's very relevant for us,” Sandoval said.
It seemed both sides of the aisle showed up to participate.
Richard Jordan believes the current administration does not reflect his party’s values.
“I'm a Republican. There's probably a lot more Democrats and progressives here than me, but we all believe the same thing: Donald Trump should not be president,” Jordan said.
Saturday’s protest also focused on helping the community.
Wendy Garvin, the executive director for Unsheltered Utah, was present to collect food donations.
She said the goal is to help families impacted by rising prices.
“I don't know if collecting this food is going to solve our national and international issues tomorrow, but I know that somebody will eat,” Garvin said.
By the end, protesters took to the streets of downtown Salt Lake City to make sure their message was heard.
“We get to do this. This is our right as Americans, and this is the right thing to do,” Hamilton said.
