WASHINGTON – Over one hundred federal workers, union members and community supporters marched to SpaceX’s office Wednesday evening in a fiery protest against Elon Musk’s restructuring of federal operations.
The demonstration, organized by the Federal Unionists Network as part of the nationwide Save Our Services day of action, called for an end to mass layoffs, the federal funding freeze and cuts to other important federal services, in addition to respecting union worker contracts.
Demonstrators rallied at Woodrow Wilson Plaza at 5:30 p.m., holding signs and chanting before marching toward SpaceX’s office. Police blocked off streets to accommodate the crowd as it moved through downtown D.C. Once they arrived they chanted and rallied in front of the building before dispersing.
Sara Nelson, international president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, AFL-CIO, speaks to the rally crowd at Woodrow Wilson Plaza. (Micah Sandy/MNS)
“We’re not going to let (Musk) just take over our government. He is the enemy, and we’re going to stand up to him and say, ‘not on our watch,’” said Sara Nelson, international president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, AFL-CIO.
“We can’t do our jobs without you, and we don’t have a democracy without you,” she said to the crowd at the initial rally.
Saul Schniderman, chair of the Labor Heritage Foundation and a former union president at the Library of Congress, said he decided to protest to support federal employees affected by the recent layoffs as a retired federal employee himself.
“We need the merit system in our government,” said Schniderman. “We don’t need a wrecking ball. What DOGE is is a wrecking ball, and they’re coming for the unions right after this.”
(Micah Sandy/MNS)
Robin Galbraith, a retired teacher, displayed a sign that read “broligarchy is not freedom” and portrayed President Donald Trump as Musk’s puppet.
“I have adult children and I didn’t make and spend all that time raising them so they could live in an oligarchy,” said Galbraith. “(Federal workers) are the backbone of our country. Without them, I don’t know what our country is going to be.”
Galbraith said she was also concerned about the broader implications of Musk’s government influence.
“Right now, I’m able to talk to you. We’re able to protest in the streets. But who knows, if we don’t stop this, what it will be like a year from now, two years from now?” she asked. “Oligarchies don’t end well.”
(Micah Sandy/MNS)
The Save Our Services movement took place nationwide through similar in-person demonstrations and virtually through social media posts. The Federal Unionists Network called on federal workers of all departments to join them in “showing America what public service really means,” according to the Action Network website.
Sharon Hartzell, an environmental scientist and member of NTEU Chapter 280 and the Federal Unionists Network, emphasized the importance of not only fighting for workers but also for the essential services Americans rely on.
“Those are services that touch everybody’s lives, from food safety to regulating the pollution that goes into our air and water to health care for veterans,” said Hartzell. “These are all things that have gotten interrupted by people being illegally terminated and are at risk of getting even further interrupted If we let this go on.”
(Micah Sandy/MNS)
(Micah Sandy/MNS)
(Micah Sandy/MNS)
(Micah Sandy/MNS)
