Coast to coast, protests against Trump are already gaining momentum

Alongside these resistance groups, there are rallies of various stripes coast to coast, where citizens are voicing their very real concerns about what this new administration may do to the stronger, more prosperous, and more equal nation which President Obama helped bring about during his time in office.

Some of the largest, loudest rallies are in defense of the Affordable Care Act, which the GOP is wasting no time trying to destroy. Led by Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT), the “Our First Stand” protests spread out nationwide, as Democratic politicians, health care activists, interest groups, and others took to the streets to march in support of Obamacare and against the Republicans’ disastrous plans to repeal the law with no meaningful replacement to offer in its stead.

This is the wealthiest country in history. It’s time we got our national priorities right and guarantee health care. #OurFirstStand

— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) January 15, 2017

All across the country today, Dems are hosting #OurFirstStand rallies to #savehealthcare. Boston is ready to fight back. pic.twitter.com/trBFuajayb

— Elizabeth Warren (@elizabethforma) January 15, 2017

FABULOUS turnout for #OurFirstStand in SF. Nearly 3,000 people have turned out! pic.twitter.com/qoAYw6JRpc

— Team Pelosi (@TeamPelosi) January 15, 2017

YUGE crowd in Portland, Maine at the #Medicare4All rally today. Crowd is chanting “I have a Dream! Universal healthcare!” #OurFirstStand pic.twitter.com/SXKZe8d7av

— NationalNursesUnited (@NationalNurses) January 15, 2017

Rallied against the GOP plan to #MakeAmericaSickAgain and defend our progress at #OurFirstStand in NoVa pic.twitter.com/b2cOBKZ6b4

— Mark Warner (@MarkWarnerVA) January 15, 2017

In case anyone ever doubted that people would show up to fight for affordable health care, here are a few thousand on a cold day in January. pic.twitter.com/ck4Bw0xs3c

— Cecile Richards (@CecileRichards) January 15, 2017

From Tampa to Portland to San Francisco – thousands have hit the streets to call for guaranteed #healthcare: #Medicare4All! #OurFirstStand pic.twitter.com/yABAN25glp

— RoseAnn DeMoro (@RoseAnnDeMoro) January 15, 2017

Last week, GOP began first steps to gutting #ACA. Today, Americans are joining together for #OurFirstStand to tell them to #SaveHealthcare.

— Al Franken (@alfranken) January 15, 2017

Health care prices have risen at the lowest rate in 50 years since the Affordable Care Act became law. #OurFirstStand

— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) January 15, 2017

Amazing. 2,000 people have turned out at our event to protect and expand the Affordable Care Act! #OurFirstStand pic.twitter.com/QzuylUySi2

— Rep. Pramila Jayapal (@RepJayapal) January 15, 2017

To my GOP colleagues: Hands off Americans’ health care. We won’t go back to health care only for the healthy & wealthy. #savehealthcare

— Ron Wyden (@RonWyden) January 15, 2017

An incredible rally to #ProtectOurCare in Richmond today. Packed with Virginians who want to #SaveTheACA. I’m ready to fight for you! pic.twitter.com/NiKlpvObIa

— Senator Tim Kaine (@timkaine) January 15, 2017

“That, after all, is why we serve. Not to score points or take credit, but to make people’s lives better.” -President Obama #OurFirstStand pic.twitter.com/Ym2ibgC94c

— The Democrats (@TheDemocrats) January 16, 2017

Meanwhile, at a town hall event in Aurora, CO, hundreds of people turned out to speak with Republican Congressman Mike Coffman about the ACA. But rather than give his constituents the respect of listening to and answering their concerns, Coffman cowardly sneaked away:

Coffman’s chief of staff, Ben Stein, sent a statement addressing what happened Saturday afternoon. The statement says the Congressman’s community event was not a town hall.

“Rep. Mike Coffman routinely hosts constituent one on one meetings across the district.  Constituents are invited to meet individually with the congressman to express their opinions, seek help with a range of issues, and discuss legislation. Given the volume of people who came, the Congressman met with four people at a time for five minutes each for a total of more than 70 constituents,” the statement said.

[Berthie] Ruoff was not one of them.

“I am trying to get an answer and I can’t even get in,” Ruoff said.

While the crowd was waiting inside the lobby, singing and chanting, Aurora Police officers are putting up crime scene tape to create a perimeter outside of the library. This allowed Coffman to leave secretly at about 3:24 p.m. unbeknownst to those still waiting to see him. The community event was scheduled from 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Coffman is apparently following the GOP practice of hiding from voters rather than admitting the truth of what they are trying to do.

Another notable set of protests came from a national network of writers. The Writers Resist movement, “driven to defend the ideals of a free, just and compassionate democratic society,” grew out of a post-election Facebook post from poet Erin Belieu:

We will not give in to despair. We will come together and actively help make the world we want to live in. We are bowed, but we are not broken.

From that bold statement came more than 75 events across the country, including the flagship event in New York City.

Big crowd today at @nypl for @PENamerican #writersresist #loudertogether pic.twitter.com/z2gzzbIBKL

— rosanne cash (@rosannecash) January 15, 2017

Huge crowd at @nypl for #writersresist pic.twitter.com/IHJ8MR3ZXq

— Rob Spillman (@robspillman) January 15, 2017

#writersresist @realDonaldTrump. Free press=free people. pic.twitter.com/pXKaupATlD

— Betsy Robinson (@betsyjulia) January 16, 2017

“Dictatorship starts with self censorship.” #writersresist pic.twitter.com/9XvXsohDn1

— Literary Manhattan (@LitManhattan) January 15, 2017

Thank you, @erinbelieu, for setting #writersresist in motion. This is Just the Beginning! @ResistPHL #writersresistPHL @PENamerican pic.twitter.com/sj83Tme8hS

— Nathaniel Popkin (@NathanielPopkin) January 16, 2017

Thank you #writersresist pic.twitter.com/FYvsPM4ZaF

— Amy Sohn (@amysohn) January 15, 2017

These protests and many others are already ensuring that Trump and the Republicans will not be allowed to wreak havoc on people’s lives without a fight. And as Inauguration Day approaches, and the reality of the Trump administration sets in, that fight will grow — and will not stop.