Protesters held signs advocating for the protection of the environment, immigrants and human rights. And they chanted statements such as "One people, one fight," "No justice, no peace" and "Tax the rich."

Brayden Oberhaus, an MSU senior in environmental studies and sustainability, was one of the protest organizers. Oberhaus said the demonstrations were planned on short notice by those who believed in a common cause and wanted to make their voices heard.

“Today’s protest is the American people really standing up to show how unhappy they are,” Oberhaus said. “This is democracy. This is a national effort. There are people at every capitol right now in (all) 50 states.”

Oberhaus said that although Project 2025 is not an actual policy, much of what is mentioned in the book has already occurred through executive orders and policies. 

He encourages more people to get involved and be vocal on issues they disagree with.

“I had a conversation with my father last night about bridging the political divide and to stop looking at things from right to left and to start looking at them down and up,” Oberhaus said. “Connect with your communities, show kindness in every way you can. There is no room for hate in the USA anymore.”

Speakers in the protest included activists, Greater Lansing residents and state representatives.

State Rep. Emily Dievendorf urged those who were present to continue to "go further."

“We’ve gone from inauguration to fascism in 60 seconds,” Dievendorf said. “Today, we are guardians of humanity, guardians of our neighbors' safety and protectors of a young democracy that is worth fighting for.” 

Dievendorf, who is Michigan’s first openly nonbinary representative, said they have spent their career advocating for civil rights and LGBTQIA+ rights, as the queer community is "a demographic within every single demographic."

“We know that the struggle of our Black and brown communities, our LGBTQ siblings and our immigrant friends are interconnected,” Dievendorf said. “We know that we have each other, but the bullies would like to think that we are doing this alone. They want to drag us backward to do more damage and do less good. We won’t go back.”

Newly sworn-in State Rep. Tonya Meyers Phillips encouraged protesters to continue to contact their local, state and federal representatives, saying "We are not going back."

“When we look around, we are our strength, our diversity is our strength,” Phillips said. “All of us are going to stick together. We will not be erased, we will not be set aside, we are not going anywhere. Continue to push back, continue to fight back because we are all human.”

State Rep. Laurie Pohutsky spoke to the crowd on Michigan’s efforts to codify abortion rights in 2022, warning that the state constitution will not shield Michigan from a nationwide abortion ban.

“It will not save us from the text outlined in Project 2025," Pohutsky said. “Anyone back home who thought that Project 2025 was anything other than a playbook for a second Trump presidency should be thoroughly disabused of that notion after the last two-and a-half weeks. They’re planning to strip us of our rights and our very knowledge about our bodies and health.”

Natasha Atkinson of Lansing said she was at the protest advocating for "everything."

“I am advocating for liberation, for freedom, for autonomy of our bodies," Atkinson said. "I’m fighting for my children and the future of the country my parents immigrated to. This is the time for us to build community with each other.”

Atkinson encouraged individuals to continue advocating for what they believe while recognizing their right and "obligation" to do so.

“I encourage us that we may not see eye-to-eye on a lot of things, but we all can recognize what is happening in our country and how scary it is," Atkinson said. "Continue to love on each other. It’s complicated times and I think a lot of people are scared and a lot of people are worried about the future, so I would just say continue to lead with love and compassion.”