MILWAUKEE– As the Trump administration continues to crack down and cut federal funding to federal agencies and groups, protests continue to take place across the country.
Milwaukee was no different with the second round ‘Hands Off’ protests taking place Saturday afternoon. Instead of the protest taking place in front of the federal courthouse on Wisconsin Avenue, protester held up signs along overpasses on I-43 and I-94.
Andy Guss is the Co-Leader of the Grassroots Menomonee Falls organization and helped protesters that are part of Indivisible and 50501 Milwaukee to show their disapproval of the cuts that Trump administration officials have approved of in the president’s attempt to lower the national debt.
“On Wednesday, we were expected to have 4,000 people to show up at the overpasses,” said Guss. “Today I learned that we got an additional 2,000 people who have signed on to protest. You can tell by the people who are already out there, that they’re angry and they’re here to stop the cuts.”
Guss lead the protest at the overpass on Green Tree Road in Glendale where more than 100 or so people gathered to protest President Donald Trump and Elon Musk in their cuts to federal workers and programs that help millions of Americans.
Protester Al Grzywacz was on Green Tree Road to protest the cuts the administration mad. Grzywacz says that his children work for the federal government and work at universities says he is not too pleased with how the government has targeted and gutted certain agencies.
“Congress is not doing anything and we need to stand up,” said Grzywacz. “I’m encouraging more young people to get out here and protest. The government is run by the people and it’s up to the voters and especially the young leaders to take office and set things right.”
Glendale resident Carol E. Ping Tsao waved her protest sign to traffic going across the road and said that more needs to be done to help fund programs like education and healthcare.
“My sign says it’s all about the common good. So when we cut healthcare, education, public safety, that affects us all,” said Tsao. “I can’t believe I was born and raised in this country and at my age to see something like this happen where our country is in this state, it’s unthinkable.”
Tsao said that while the cuts are unbearable to think about, she does credit some lawmakers for doing the best they can to help fellow constituents.
“Some have certainly been stewards. Senator Tammy Baldwin, Representative Mark Pocan, they have doing an amazing job,” said Tsao. “There have been too many that have been cowed. I’m not sure that the GOP lawmakers are doing enough to really hear what a majority of people have been saying. They really need to listen. If they don’t, then they won’t be in office for much longer.”
Tsao and protesters alike say the protests taking place bring to attention that the nation is in a moral moment where solidarity is needed and voters and constituents alike need to stand up for what they believe is common good among all Americans.
