“We are at a critical juncture in our nation’s history,” said Laura Judge, a spokesperson for grassroots organization Indivisible North Metro Atlanta. “We will not stand idly by as policies that undermine our democracy and rights are enacted.”
Saturday’s protest came on the heels of a whirlwind week of mass layoffs at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that sparked protests at the Atlanta headquarters Tuesday, and historic tax hikes that risk higher inflation and saw the stock market nosedive Thursday and Friday.
Trump announced Wednesday a 10% baseline tax on imported goods from nearly all of America’s trading partners, which went into effect Saturday, as well as elevated rates on dozens of nations slated to go into effect next week. Countries in Asia will take the greatest hit, as Japan and South Korea face tariffs as high as 26%, and China faces an additional 34% tariff on top of existing levies.
The president has defended the measure, saying the global trading system has hurt the country for decades and that the tariffs are aimed at boosting domestic manufacturing and restoring fairness in the system. But experts warn that the tariffs could destabilize the global economy.
The top five import markets for Georgia are Mexico, China, South Korea, Germany and Vietnam, according to the Georgia Department of Economic Development.
On Friday, China retaliated with its own 34% tariff on U.S. imports starting April 10. China is Georgia’s No. 3 export market, behind Canada and Mexico, according to Georgia Department of Economic Development data for 2024.
“We had the envy of the world under previous leadership,” David Williams, 79, said. “Now, we’re the total laughing stock of the world.”
Williams of Stone Mountain had built up his retirement savings for more than 45 years, and called the Trump administration’s handling of the economy, and “attack on Social Security nothing but outrageous.”
“They’ve gone way way too far,” he said. “It’s so obvious he’s destroying our basic rights with no regard for the rule of law. He’s a train wreck.”
Williams was one of the lucky ones who moved his money into stable cash investments, only incurring some minor losses after the stock market took a dive.
“I was much more fortunate than others,” he said.
Saturday’s march to the Capitol comes just a week after hundreds of anti-Musk protesters swarmed Tesla dealerships across metro Atlanta and over 250 cities worldwide as part of the “Tesla Takedown” grassroots movement.
Warning signs for the Tesla CEO emerged this week when Tesla announced a 13% drop in global sales in the first quarter compared to a year prior, and the conservative judge whom Musk backed with over $20 million lost a pivotal seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court to liberal candidate Susan Crawford Tuesday. Trump said Musk will likely leave the administration in “a few months” with signs that DOGE, responsible for shrinking the federal government, is winding down sooner than anticipated.
Debra Hughes, 60, said she finds hope in making her voice heard in protests and encouraging others to do the same.
“I encouraged four other people to show up who otherwise would not have come out today,” she said. “It’s about getting out here and helping others express what they want to say about what’s happening in our government, to our kids, our families.”
