TEHRAN- Rebecca Winter, executive director of Massachusetts 50501, is involved in organizing grassroots efforts to defend democracy and oppose authoritarianism in the United States. The movement, which emerged from a nationwide call for protests in February 2025, seeks to mobilize Americans through demonstrations, boycotts, voter participation and community action.

As the No Kings movement seeks to sustain public engagement beyond the US midterm elections, Winter spoke to the Tehran Times about the Trump administration, threats to democratic institutions, immigrant rights, and the role of grassroots activism in holding elected officials accountable.

Below is the full text of the interview:

Could you tell us a little about how Massachusetts 50501 began and what its main goals are?

We started with the national 50501 call to action on February 5, 2025. The original call to action was for a protest in every state capital: 50 states, 50 protests, all on one day. That eventually grew into a single movement.

Our organization’s goal is to protect democracy in the United States and fight authoritarianism. Once we hopefully overthrow the current authoritarian regime through nonviolent methods, we want to repair our democracy so that it actually works for everyone.

How would you describe the movement’s main concerns about the Trump administration?

 We are incredibly concerned about how authoritarian Trump and his regime’s goals are. We see him acting against our Constitution and undermining the rule of law. He is also clearly more interested in supporting corporations and billionaires than working-class Americans.

Could you tell me about your role in leading the movement and what motivated you to become a political activist?

I am the executive director of our organization, and I wear several hats because we are an entirely volunteer-run organization without funding.

Honestly, many things motivated me to get involved. I am a mother, and I work at a school, so I am always thinking about the world I want these children, especially my own children, to grow up in.

I am also queer and disabled, and those are two populations that Trump and his regime are attacking. Basically, anyone from a marginalized group is very vulnerable right now.

In addition, many of my friends, family members and co-workers are immigrants or come from immigrant families. That is something we have always celebrated in the United States.

As a white woman, I recognize that I have a little more privilege under this regime. I believe it is my duty to stand up for my country and my community right now.

What do you consider the movement’s most important achievement since it began in February 2025?

It is the momentum we have built. We have held rallies that were among the largest protests in the United States, and we have done that four times now. This shows that people do not support this government and gives people a great deal of courage and hope to stand up in their own communities.

We have also organized several successful boycotts. Using our money to fight back is one of the most powerful things we can do.

Just this past weekend (October 17–18) , we also saw the largest day of early voting in the United States. That was the result of the nationwide No Kings: Vote Early call to action.

Why did the latest No Kings action focus on early voting rather than another mass rally? What results do you hope to achieve by changing your strategy?

It was incredibly important for us to focus on voting right now. Free and fair elections are a fundamental pillar of democracy and are what ground us in our Constitution.

Another reason we have ended up with the president and officials we have today is that not enough people have turned out to vote. People have lost faith in voting, and we are here to help restore that faith.

We want people to turn out in large numbers and demonstrate the values of the people through their votes.

Another reason we did not organize a protest this time is that, if there is election interference, we may have to take to the streets nonviolently and stand up very soon. People need to prepare for that possibility.

In this case, we needed to shift our energy and focus. We need to vote now, and we may need to take to the streets later.

Some critics might argue that these demonstrations have little real political impact. How will you turn the energy of the protests into lasting change, beyond the midterm elections?

 Everything we do is action-oriented. The protests are highly visible, and that is intentional. They give people hope and show the media and people watching at home that Americans really care about what is happening in our country. They also show people that they should not be afraid, but should feel empowered to stand up and become part of this movement.

At our events, as is the case with most similar events across the country, a protest is never the only component. There is always another element focused on action.

For example, we often have different organizations come to our events to educate people and share information about their work. They recruit volunteers and collect donations. We also support mutual aid and find ways to give back to our communities.

We often turn people who attend our events into activists right there on the spot. Once we have their attention, we continue supporting them after the rallies through education and additional opportunities to help and volunteer.

We are constantly trying to bring people into the movement and give them tangible things they can do so that they feel they are making a difference.

Do you expect the movement to grow after the midterm elections, regardless of the outcome?

I do expect the movement to grow, and I think much of that depends on how the midterms go.

We know that we are not going to remove the regime through these midterm elections. The threat to our people is not going to disappear at the ballot box.

We hope things will turn around so that our legislative branch can be more effective than it is now. However, we will still need a strong people’s movement to hold our elected officials accountable and continue pushing them to oppose authoritarianism.

Apart from the movement’s position, I would also like to know your personal view. Which actions by the Trump administration do you consider most dangerous to American democracy, particularly over the past year?

It is very difficult for me to quantify that because this administration is doing so many harmful things.

As someone who volunteers in the immigrant justice movement, what concerns me most is what is happening to immigrants in our country. People are being taken away from their families and picked up off the streets by masked men without identification or warrants.

Many of those who have been detained have legal documentation. They are not violent. They are either working to obtain legal citizenship or hold visas or green cards. At least 500 U.S. citizens have already been detained.

The level of fear this creates, and the damage it does to our image around the world, are enormous.

We have always been a country that welcomes immigrants and celebrates diversity. I grew up in New York State, near the Statue of Liberty, and I always thought of the United States as a safe place for people from all over the world to come.

Now, it is very clear that this administration is trying to change our history and our image, and that will affect us negatively for generations.

Is there any message or plan you would like to add that we have not covered in our questions?

I think those are really the main points. We exist because we see that marginalized communities, in particular, will be hurt the most as our democracy continues to be undermined. It will take everyone in America standing up and engaging in our democracy.

Our country was founded by the people, and I think many people have become passive. We need to return to that original spirit: this is our government, and we need to take an active role in it.