SOT [MIC SPKR]: HERE TOGETHER ON DAY ONE OF THIS NEW ADMINISTRATION, TO SAY THAT WE REJECT THIS PLAN FOR MASS DEPORTATIONS AT MASS RATES ALL ACROSS THIS COUNTRY AND HERE IN BOSTON AND WE REJECT THE ENTIRETY OF THEIR BILLIONAIRE ULTRA RIGHT AGENGA. TRUMP IS A BILLIONAIRE, WITH THE HELP OF OTHER BILLIONAIRES, AND NOW THEY AND THE POLITICIANS THAT SERVE THEM, ARE POISED TO WAGE WAR ON ALL IMMIGRANTS AND ON ALL WORKERS. 

BIRDI VO: THIS LAST MONDAY, DONALD J. TRUMP BECAME THE 47TH PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 

SOT [MIC SPKR]: ARE WE GONNA STAND BY AND LET THAT HAPPEN? WE GONNA STAND QUIETLY BY AND LET THAT HAPPEN? NO, OF COURSE, NOT. LOOK AT US HERE TODAY. WE ARE HERE TO SAY AND NOT JUST TO DONALD TRUMP, BECAUSE WHO HEARD OUR GOVERNOR, MAURA HEALEY, GO ON PUBLIC RADIO LAST MONTH AND SAY THAT MASSACHUSETTS IS NOT A SANCTUARY STATE.

SEAN VO: AND ON HIS FIRST DAY IN OFFICE, PRESIDENT TRUMP RELEASED A SLEW OF EXECUTIVE ACTIONS AND ORDERS THAT RANGED FROM PAUSING THE TIKTOK BAN TO INFLATION TO IMMIGRATION. 

ZHI VO: ACCORDING TO N-P-R, TRUMP’S IMMIGRATION ORDERS DECLARED A NATIONAL EMERGENCY AT THE BORDER, CLARIFIED THE MILITARY’S ROLE IN BORDER SECURITY, ENDING CATCH AND RELEASE, CONTINUING TO BUILD THE WALL, REINSTATING REMAIN IN MEXICO, DESIGNATING CRIMINAL CARTELS AS TERRORISTS, SUSPENDING REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT, AND ENDING BIRTH RIGHT CITIZENSHIP. ALONG WITH OTHER ACTIONS. 

GABBY VO: ACCORDING TO W-G-B-H MASSACHUSETTS, MASSACHUSETTS IS ONE OF TWENTY TWO STATES THAT HAVE FILED LAWSUITS AGAINST THE ENDING OF BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP. 

SOT [MIC SPKR]:  WHO HEARD HER TELL OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS, OUR IMMIGRANT BROTHERS AND SISTERS, THAT IF YOU COME HERE, THERE IS NO HOUSING. SHE SAID THAT WHEN THE CENSUS REPORT PUBLISHED IN 2022 SAID THAT 10% WILL EMPTY. IT IS A LIE TO SAY THAT THERE ARE NO HOMES. THE TRUTH IS THAT TO THEM, THE PURPOSE OF A HOME IS NOT TO HOUSE A FAMILY, BUT RATHER TO MAKE MONEY REAL ESTATE DEVELOPERS AND THE REST OF THE BILLIONARIES WHO PROFIT FROM THIS SYSTEM. 

BIRDI VO: ON THE SAME DAY AS NOW PRESIDENT TRUMP’S INAUGRATION, A BOSTON SOCIALIST PARTY PROTEST WAS HELD A THE FEDERAL BUILDING CALLED BOSTON, WE FIGHT BACK, DEFEAT TRUMP’S EXTREME-RIGHT BILLIONAIRE AGENDA. 

SOT [MIC SPKR]: SO THAT IS WHY IT’S SO IMPORTANT THAT WE ARE HERE TODAY. WE ARE HERE TO SAY WE’RE NOT GONNA LET YOU TAKE OUR NEIGHBORS AWAY. WE ARE NOT GONNA BELIEVE YOU WHEN YOU SELL US THAT LIE. 

[NAT] 

SEAN VO: THE PROTEST’S AGENDA? TO DEMAND A FUTURE THAT CENTERS THE NEEDS OF THE PEOPLE OVER THE INTEREST OF THE WEALTHY ELITE. THEY CAME TOGETHER TO RAISE THEIR VOICES FOR IMMIGRANS, WOMEN, LGBTQIAS2+ PEOPLE AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE. 

[NAT FOR FEW SECONDS]

ZHI VO: THEY CAME TOGETHER TO END THE GENOCIDE IN GAZA, THE U-S WAR MACHINE, AND THE RULE OF BILLIONAIRES. 

[NAT – LET DIE OUT]

GABBY VO: AFTER HIS FIRST DAY IN OFFICE, TENSIONS HAVE RISEN OVER WHAT DONALD TRUMP WILL DO NEXT AND HOW IT WILL AFFECT CITIZENS’ LIVES, ACCORDING TO PROTESTOR MARY DERY. 

SOT [DERY]: YEAH. I MEAN, I THINK THERE'S DEFINITELY A LOT TO BE CONCERNED OVER. I MEAN, WE SEE TRUMP AS A SYMPTOM WHERE CAPITALISM IS A BROADER DISEASE, AND WE RECOGNIZE THAT TRUMP'S PLATFORM, TRUMP'S ADMINISTRATION, IS REALLY JUST LIKE AN EXTREME, FAR RIGHT BILLIONAIRE AGENDA. AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE REJECT THAT. WE DON'T THINK THAT BILLIONAIRES SHOULD BE, YOU KNOW, DECIDING WHAT HAPPENS WITH OUR MONEY, OUR TAX DOLLARS. AND I KNOW THAT THERE'S A LOT OF FOLKS HERE WHO ARE ALSO REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE LIKE, POTENTIAL RAIDS ON WORKPLACES AND HOMES FOR OF IMMIGRANTS, AND SO WE WANT TO BE OUT HERE IN SOLIDARITY WITH ALL OF OUR IMMIGRANT BROTHERS AND SISTERS HERE.

BIRDI VO: ACCORDING TO A-B-C NEWS, TRUMP HAS TAPPED A QUOTE ‘UNPRECEDENTED 13 BILLIONAIRES FOR HIS ADMINISTRATION’ END QUOTE. THIS INCLUDES A WRETSLING MAGNet, A PRIVATE SPACE PIONEER, A NEW YORK REAL ESTATE DEVELOPER, THE HEir TO A SMALL APPLIANCE EMPREI AND THE WELATHIEST MAN ON THE PLANET. 

SOT [DERY]: YEAH. I MEAN, I THINK IT GOES BACK TO WHAT I SAID BEFORE, RIGHT, LIKE TRUMP IS APPOINTING BILLIONAIRES TO HIS CABINET, IT'S REALLY, HE'S REALLY NOT TRYING TO HIDE THE FACT THAT, LIKE, YOU KNOW, THE PEOPLE WHO ARE IN POWER ARE THE RICH. AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE, LIKE I SAID, WE REJECT THAT, AND WE THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, WORKING PEOPLE MAKE SPIDEY RUN AND THAT WORKING PEOPLE SHOULD BE EMPOWERED.

SEAN VO: CASSIE COOKE AND DAKOTA CASTRO JARRETT TOOK THE STREETS AS NOT ONLY PROTESTORS BUT AS MEMBERS OF THE SOCIALIST ALTERNATIVE, A TROT-SKI-IST POLITICAL PARTY IN THE US. THEIR FOCUS AT THE PROTEST WENT BEYOND JUST IMMIGRATION MATTERS. 

SOT [COOKE & CASTRO-JARRETT]: YEAH. HE'S GOT 2% OF ALL US BILLIONAIRES IN HIS CABINET, WHICH I JUST THINK IS INSANE, RIGHT? LIKE, IT JUST SHOWS THAT, LIKE, YOU KNOW, EVEN IF I THINK, LIKE, SOME WORKING CLASS REPUBLICANS, LIKE, VOTED FOR TRUMP BECAUSE OF CONCERNS AROUND THE ECONOMY, AND, LIKE, THE ECONOMY WAS A HUGE ISSUE, OR THE LARGEST ISSUE, LIKE, STATISTICALLY, BUT IT JUST SHOWS THAT, LIKE, TRUMP DOESN'T CARE WHAT WORKING CLASS PEOPLE LIKE, HE'S NOT GONNA HELP US OUT. YOU KNOW, HE'S LIKE, JUST LIKE, HE'S GOT ALL THIS, LIKE, FAR RIGHT, BILLIONAIRES IN HIS CABINET AND, YEAH, JUST LIKE, THESE CRAZY TARIFFS, HE'S GONNA SAID HE'S GONNA IMPOSE, LIKE, 60% TARIFFS ON CHINA, 20% ON ALL OTHER COUNTRIES, WHICH, LIKE HE SAYS, ARE GONNA, LIKE, PROMOTE US BUSINESSES AND, LIKE, LOWER FOOD COSTS. BUT LIKE, IN REALITY, LIKE, IT'S JUST GONNA SPIKE INFLATION, RIGHT? LIKE WE'VE SEEN, LIKE, EVEN, JUST FROM, NOT EVEN, LIKE, CONSIDERING THE TARIFFS ON CHINA, LIKE THE OTHER TARIFFS WILL RAISE INFLATION BY 3% SO, LIKE, HE'S, YOU KNOW, HE DOESN'T HAVE ANY INTEREST IN SUPPORTING THE WORKING CLASS. SO WE NEED TO, YOU KNOW, GET TOGETHER AND FIGHT BACK.

ZHI VO: ACCORDING TO C-N-N, ON INAGUARATION DAY ALONE, TRUMP MADE MORE THAN 20 FALSE CLAIMS IN HIS REMARKS FOR THREE DIFFERENT SPEECHES. 

SOT [COOK & CASTRO-JARRETT]: I MEAN, I THINK IT'S LIKE, HE'S A VERY DANGEROUS FIGURE. I MEAN, TRUMP'S KIND OF NEXT ADMINISTRATION, I THINK PROMISE TO BE, LIKE, A LOT MORE ORGANIZED AT HIS FIRST HE HAS, LIKE, BASICALLY THE ENTIRE REVOLVING PARTY BEHIND HIM. HE HAS, LIKE, A BUNCH OF BILLIONAIRES, LIKE YOU SAID, LIKE, SUPPORTING HIM. AND, YOU KNOW, LIKE, HE'S PRETTY CLEAR, LIKE, YOU KNOW, HE WANTS TO DEPORT, YOU KNOW, SERIOUS AMOUNTS OF PEOPLE, OR HE'S INTERESTED IN, LIKE, ENACTING LEGISLATION AGAINST LIKE, QUEER PEOPLE AND WOMEN, RIGHT, UM, AND LIKE, HE HAS, LIKE, THE ABILITY AND POWER TO DO THAT, AND LIKE, LITTLE RESISTANCE, I THINK. AND, YEAH, IT'S LIKE, A REAL THREAT TO, LIKE, WORKING PEOPLE ACROSS THE COUNTRY, YOU KNOW, AND ACROSS THE WORLD.

GABBY VO: PROTESTOR ERIC LEE WALKED THE CITY STREETS IN A HOPE TO CALM ANXIETY AND STAY POSITIVE DURING TIMES THAT SOME ARE FINDING DIFFICULT. 

SOT [LEE]: OBVIOUSLY, I'M NERVOUS. I THINK EVERYONE HERE IS NERVOUS, BUT I TRY TO SEE THE BRIGHT SIDE OF THINGS. EVERY CLOUD OF THIS IS SILVER LINING. I THINK THE SILVER LINING OF THIS IS WHAT WE'RE SEEING HERE WHEN TRUMP COMES INTO OFFICE AND WHEN HE STARTS PUTTING IN THESE HORRENDOUS POLICIES THAT WE ALL HATE SO MUCH. IT BRINGS PEOPLE TOGETHER FROM ALL SIDES OF THE SPECTRUM IN A COALITION FOR A COMMON GOAL, AND IT BUILDS IT FORCES US TO CONFRONT THAT THE SYSTEM WE'RE LIVING UNDER IS NOT BUILT FOR US. AND WHEN THAT HAPPENS, YOU SEE PEOPLE WAKING UP TO THAT FACT, AND YOU SEE PEOPLE JOINING US AT RALLIES LIKE THIS AND BUILDING A COALITION AND BUILDING SOLIDARITY AND WORKING TOGETHER TOWARDS CHANGES THAT MATTER, BECAUSE THIS IS THE US, BUT THIS IS ALSO MASSACHUSETTS. WE CAN MAKE CHANGE HERE IN OUR STATE THAT WILL PROTECT US AND THE PEOPLE WE CARE ABOUT. AND SO I THINK IF THERE'S A SILVER LIGHTING THAT IS IT, OBVIOUSLY, I'M SCARED FOR A LOT OF MY FRIENDS. I'M WORRIED FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE WHOSE RIGHTS ARE BEING THREATENED RIGHT NOW, BUT WE HAVE THE POWER TO PROTECT THEM.

BIRDI VO: AS OF RIGHT NOW, PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP’S NEXT ACTION WAS ANNOUNCING A 500 BILLION DOLLAR A-I INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT IN THE NATION FOR HIS QUOTE SWEETING PLANS FOR HIS SECOND ADMINISTRATION’ END QUOTE, ACCORDING TO W-H-Y-Y. 

BIRDI VO: FOR YOU ARE HERE, I’M BIRDI DIEHL.
SEAN VO: I’M SEAN PERRY.
ZHI VO: AND I’M ZHI ZHU.