Several hundred State College area residents on Saturday protested actions by President Donald Trump, his administration and billionaire Elon Musk. The “Hands Off!” rally at Sidney Friedman Park was one of more than 1,200 organized across the United States.
Despite rainfall before and during the protest, attendees completely filled the South Fraser Street park. Many protesters carried signs throughout the event, telling the Trump administration and Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency to keep their “hands off” union contracts, cancer research, immigrants, free speech, the court systems, workers rights, social security and more, all of which have come under fire from the administration in the last few months.
The event featured four speakers, each of whom talked about the ways they have seen government funding cuts impact their lives.
One woman had a 38-year-old son with Down syndrome, who relies on assistance from Medicaid, social security, and the Department of Housing and Urban Development in order to live a normal life. Programs helping that woman’s son are at risk of being cut.
Connor Lewis, the president of Seven Mountains AFL-CIO union, talked about the Trump administration’s efforts against unions, including denying federal workers the ability to collectively bargain.
Another speaker, a combat veteran and former employee of the State Department, said the Trump administration’s gutting of the Department of Defense and the Friday firings of senior National Security Agency officials would damage national security and put the nation and State College at risk.
The day’s final speaker was a former employee of USAID, which provides humanitarian aid globally. The DOGE has sought to fire almost all USAID employees. The speaker talked about how cuts to USAID impacted State College, including the cutting of grants to Penn State for research and to local churches for working in their communities.
Protesters at the rally hailed the actions of New Jersey Senator Cory Booker, who protested the Trump administration for a record 25 hours on the Senate floor; Susan Crawford, who maintained a liberal majority on the Wisconsin Supreme Court in a special election victory; and other liberal champions around the country.
After about an hour, protestors marched from the park to the Allen Street gates, where they continued the demonstration for another hour.
