An independently organized protest against the Trump administration took place at the Nebraska Capitol building on April 1.
Another in a series of many protests since Donald Trump took office, the protest on the first was expected to have several hundred people attend and stand against the myriad of executive actions and administrative changes Trump has made in the past few months.
Primary organizer of the protest, Devin Crozier, said he has always been politically active, as he “had no choice.”
“Until now, I was always a protestor and not an organizer, but no one else stood up to do ‘50501’ for Nebraska, so I did,” Crozier said.
“50501” was a movement for each of the 50 states to hold a protest on February 5. According to their website, it was “a decentralized rapid response to the anti-democratic and illegal actions of the Trump administration.”
This protest, and those that Crozier has helped organize in recent months, have been nonspecific demonstrations advocating against the Trump administration.
“We have had protests at least twice a month since he’s taken office,” Crozier said. “We’ve also been active testifying in the state legislature, and we’ll never stop fighting back.”
Crozier said political organizing is important, and that any number of people showing up to a protest is still progress.
“It’s been a lot of work, for sure, but rewarding.” Crozier said. “I had no idea if anyone would show up at first, but all protests thus far have broken 100 people in attendance.”
Crozier started politically organizing in person seven years ago, but said he has participated in online activism for far longer. For anyone interested in politically organizing, Crozier said the internet is an invaluable tool.
“Surprisingly, Facebook has been a great place for getting the word out,” Crozier said. “I make Facebook events for every protest we hold, and have been shocked by the reach they have had.”
He added that there are also many local organizations that have email newsletters that can help the politically-minded stay up to date on current events.
For anyone interested in getting involved in political organization, Crozier said the most important thing is getting into contact with others who have more experience, attending and organizing protests and to take safety precautions.
“I’m an Army veteran, so I’ve been trained how to handle emergency medical situations,” Crozier said. “It’s important to have a plan if things go sour.”
