Louis Cassano waved an upside-down American flag while marching along State Street in Santa Barbara on Monday during a protest of President Trump and his policies.
Cassano said the inverted flag is a sign of distress and that the United States is in trouble.
“We need to save our democracy,” the New York native said. “I am doing this for my children. They are trying to steal our democracy from us.”
Cassano was one of about 200 people who attended a rally and march on Monday in opposition to the Trump administration. The local event was part of a national 50501 Movement, where people across the country gathered to protest on Presidents Day. About 40 people also gathered in Santa Maria on Monday.
The crowd in Santa Barbara was loud and passionate, aiming their disgust at Elon Musk and President Trump with chants and signs, including ones that read “Felon,” “Stop Separating Families” and “We Didn’t Elect a King or an Oligarchy.”
The gathering started in two places. A large crowd began at noon at the Santa Barbara County Administration Building, while a smaller crowd joined in about 30 minutes later. Many motorists honked their horns seemingly in support as they drove by.
Brian Ratledge, with a megaphone in hand, led the demonstrators throughout the rally. As they marched along State Street, they shouted chants such as “Dump Trump” and “2-4-6-8, we don’t want a fascist state.”
Among the protesters was Ashley Farrell, a lifelong Santa Barbara resident.
Louis Cassano waves an upside-down American flag at the Santa Barbara rally on Monday to show his disdain for the state of the nation. Credit: Joshua Molina / Noozhawk photo 
Brian Ratledge, center, with the megaphone, leads about 200 people in a rally and march along State Street in Santa Barbara on Monday in protest of President Trump. Credit: Joshua Molina / Noozhawk photo 
A large crowd gathers at the Santa Barbara County Administration Building on Monday to protest the Trump administration, including waving signs and shouting chants against President Trump and Elon Musk. Credit: Joshua Molina / Noozhawk photo 
Michal Lynch, one of the organizers of Monday’s march and rally, says it’s important to push back against the Trump administration. Credit: Joshua Molina / Noozhawk photo 
A large crowd gathers at Santa Barbara’s De la Guerra Plaza after marching from the Santa Barbara County Administration Building on Monday to protest President Trump and his administration. Credit: Joshua Molina / Noozhawk photo 
A couple hundred people march along State Street in Santa Barbara on Monday to protest the Trump administration. Credit: Joshua Molina / Noozhawk photo 
A marcher carries signs in protest of President Trump and Elon Musk. Credit: Joshua Molina / Noozhawk photo 
A protester carries a sign in opposition to President Trump’s immigration policies. Credit: Joshua Molina / Noozhawk photo 
Lori Rafferty, left, and Mary Turley, best friends since they were students at UCSB, protest together Monday. Credit: Joshua Molina / Noozhawk photo
“We are at the whims of a tyrannical regime,” she said. “I can’t even call them an administration. They are a regime, and they are doing illegal things. The Supreme Court has given them the ability to do what they are doing. Our government has been hijacked, and the people need to standup while they still can.”
Protester Mary Turley said the government is doing things recklessly.
“Elon Musk in the Oval Office having access to national security to tasks that are normally put in place by people who have security clearances and who have been vetted?” Turley said. “That’s frightening.”
She carried a sign that read: “We the People Reject Project 2025. Democracy For All.”
In his first month, Trump has said he wants to abolish the Department of Education, and he appointed billionaire Musk to fire thousands of federal employees to save money. Trump has launched widespread deportation efforts of undocumented residents and vowed to erase diversity, equity and inclusion funding, among other controversial moves.
Lori Rafferty said the presidential election was won by a margin of only 1.5% in the popular vote, so there are many people who don’t support the current administration. She pushed back against Project 2025.
“It’s insane, it’s wrong and this is how things start,” she said, “and it is going to go across the U.S.”
Monday’s protest came after last week’s Indivisible event that attracted huge crowds to downtown Santa Barbara to protest the Trump administration. Several elected officials spoke at that event, but no elected officials attended Monday’s event.
Michal Lynch, one of the organizers, said Monday’s event began with just her and another person sharing an email over the weekend, and then the event blew up into something larger. She asked people in attendance to give their names and email so they could be notified of future events.
More actions are coming, she said.
“I want to make sure before every event everybody knows about it,” Lynch said.
She told Noozhawk that the enormity of Trump’s actions is just “unacceptable.”
“I know that ‘the overwhelm’ is part of the plan,” Lynch told Noozhawk. “That is part of the plan. We’ve seen things like this happen in other countries. We know how it works. I want to do everything I can to personally interfere with that.”
Cassano, the man waving the flag, has lived in Santa Barbara since 1987. He is originally from New York. He said Trump does not show patriotism the way he’s running the country.
“I am most concerned about immigration. I am most concerned about the people who keep this country alive,” Cassano said. “I am also concerned that the cuts he is making is to pay for someone else’s evil intentions.”