‘We’re united’: Labor council hosts rally protesting federal cuts in downtown Washington
More than 100 people waving signs reading “Save the Department of Education,” “Stop Oligarchy,” and “Nobody Elected Musk” took to downtown Washington Thursday afternoon for a “Stop the Billionaire Takeover” rally, staged in response to recent federal cuts ordered by President Donald Trump and his new administration.
The event, organized by the Washington-Greene Central Labor Council, was held in front of the Washington County Courthouse, directly across the street from the office of Rep. U.S. Rep. Guy Reschenthaler (R-14th District).
“We are here, and we’re united,” James Watt, president of the labor council, told the crowd. “Elon Musk and (Trump) want to eliminate those departments that have been protecting us working people for decades. They want to dismantle the Centers for Disease Control and the Department of Health. If we didn’t have those two departments, how many of us standing here today would not be here? We’d have been killed by COVID.”
He also spoke out against cuts to the Department of Veterans Affairs.
“After these brave men and women have fought to protect our country they want to leave them behind,” Watt said.
Colleen Arnowitz, president of the Washington County Pennsylvania State Education Association Retired Group, directed a message toward Secretary of Education Linda McMahon.
“It’s very important that we keep that Department of Education,” she said. “We are teachers and we are fighters. If you want to slam us, bring it on.”
Walter Michalski, a staff representative for the American Federation of Teachers Pennsylvania, also spoke.
“My grandfather always told my mother the greatest thing in America is a free education,” he said. “They’re our schools. They’re our students. They’re our future.”
Many of the attendees wore ribbons in support of Ukraine.
“I was so upset, absolutely embarrassed by the way Donald Trump talked to the president of Ukraine,” Watt said, referring to Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s recent fight with the president in the Oval Office. “What do our European allies think of us right now?”
Watt was pleased with the turnout at the event.
“There are people that don’t like to see what’s going on in our county, our congressional district or in our country,” Watt said. “We don’t like what we see going on in (Washington) D.C. We got people from Washington, Fayette, Greene, Beaver and Westmoreland County. They’re here because they’re concerned about what’s going on in D.C.”
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- James Watt, president of the Washington-Greene Central Labor Council, addresses the crowd.
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- Walter Michalski, a staff representative for the American Federation of Teachers Pennsylvania, addresses rally-goers Thursday.