Hundreds of people demonstrated in North Texas Thursday as part of the nationwide May Day protests against the Trump administration.
In downtown Dallas late Thursday afternoon, they held signs with slogans like "People not Profit"and chanted "Donald Trump has got to go."
Juliet Renaud, 23, held back tears as they expressed exhaustion with the Trump administration and its policies.
"The transphobia, the homophobia, that's really the community I know," they said. "I just hate my friends and family being looked down upon and being hated for just existing."
Meanwhile, 66-year-old Ernie Cordova said he showed up to protest the Trump administration because he doesn't like the direction the country is headed.
"He needs to know that people don't like what he's doing," Cordova said.
Fort Worth saw hundreds more take to the streets outside old Fort Worth City Hall. In Denton, about 100 people showed up outside Denton City Hall. Some wore outfits inspired by The Handmaid's Tale. Another protest is scheduled in downtown Denton Saturday.
In Carrollton, a May Day protest was slated for Thursday evening, organized by Ernest Lineberger, a Democrat who ran against Rep. Brandon Gill to represent Texas' U.S. Congressional District 26 in November.
May Day is known as International Workers' Day or Labor Day in many countries, commemorating the struggle for workers' rights. This year, thousands of activists across the U.S. marked the day to protest Trump's policies targeting immigrants, federal workers and programs created to address discrimination in the workplace, academia and other spaces. Organizers planned more than 1,000 events in more than 1,000 cities.
Thursday's demonstrations are also part of what's known as the 50501 Movement — short for "50 protests, 50 states, one movement." It began in late January shortly after Trump took office and has since evolved into a widespread protest campaign.
It's just the latest demonstration in North Texas after two massive days of protests in April that drew millions to the streets across the country and in the Dallas area. Several other protests took place in Texas alone, including Fort Worth, Denton, Houston, San Antonio, and Austin.
Renaud says showing up for protests is the best way to show people they're not alone.
"It shows people that some people care," they said. "We are out here because we care and no matter what you think, people care about you."
Additional reporting by the Denton Record-Chronicle's Camila Gonzalez.
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