Nationwide ‘Free America’ Walkout Held in Protest of Trump

People across the country walked out of school and work on Tuesday afternoon as part of a nationwide walkout to protest the Trump Administration.

Dubbed the “Free America Walkout,” the protest took place on the anniversary of President Donald Trump’s second inauguration. The movement is protesting the actions Trump has taken since returning to office, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids, National Guard deployments, and threats to transgender rights.

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“One year into Trump’s second regime, we face an escalating fascist threat,” the Free America website reads. “It is time for our communities to escalate as well. On January 20 at 2 PM local time, we will walk out of work, school, and commerce. We will withhold our labor, our participation, and our consent. A free America begins the moment we refuse to cooperate. This is not a request. This is a rupture. This is a protest and a promise. In the face of fascism, we will be ungovernable.”

The Women’s March, one of the organizing partners behind the walkout, shared a video on X of the protest beginning in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday afternoon, as well as photos of a similar demonstration in Brooklyn, New York, in which protesters can be seen holding “Free America” signs.

“This is what democracy looks like,” the Women’s March wrote on X. “This is what fighting fascism looks like.”

The Women’s March also shared a video of a walkout in Oklahoma City, writing on X, “Red state. Real resistance. Feminists and their allies are walking out on fascism.” And the account posted photos of protesters in Minnesota, some of whom can be seen carrying signs that said, “ICE out for good” and “Do your job Congress.”

“Minnesotans walked out today. In the face of weeks of dehumanizing rhetoric by the right. In the face of weeks of violent and unlawful attacks by ICE agents. In the aftermath of the tragic murder of Renee Good. In freezing temperatures,” the Women’s March wrote on X. “They organize. They fight back. They walk out. We stand with Minnesota.”

Earlier this month, Renee Nicole Good—a 37-year-old U.S. citizen and mother of three—was shot and killed by an ICE agent in Minneapolis. Trump Administration officials have accused Good of attempting to run over the agent with her car, claiming the shooting was an act of “self-defense.” But videos of the incident appear to contradict that characterization, and local leaders have strongly disputed the Administration’s portrayal. Good’s death sparked widespread outrage, and ignited protests in Minneapolis and across the country—from major cities to small-town America—over the Trump Administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement tactics.

About 4 in 10 Americans approve of the President’s performance in his second term thus far, according to an AP-NORC poll conducted earlier this month. That’s roughly the same approval rating that Trump received at the start and end of his first term, though there were periods where that number fluctuated, according to AP-NORC data. Approval of his policies in different areas varied, however. The most recent poll—which was conducted after the fatal shooting of Good—found that only 38% of Americans approve of how the President is addressing immigration issues, a double-digit decline from the 49% who approved of his immigration policies in March.