Dozens of protesters expressed their frustration with the Trump administration during a rally outside of the William H. Natcher Federal Building in downtown Bowling Green on Wednesday. About 50 protesters chanted and held signs voicing their displeasure toward President Donald Trump and the executive orders he has made during his short presidency. The rally was organized by SOKY Indivisible, a grassroot group aimed at holding federal leaders accountable.
Michael Gramling, an organizer of the event in Bowling Green, said he hoped to get a response from U.S Senator Mitch McConnell.
"I think what galvanized me and probably most of the people here was the take over of the treasury department and the trashing of USAID by Musk and his goons," Gramling said. "I'm here just to demand that that stop and I want the folks here at the Federal building, including McConnell to come out and say, 'No, there's somethings you can't do.'"
A number of recent executive actions by the president and his advisor Elon Musk drew the disapproval of protesters, chief among them were plans to abolish the US Department of Education and USAID, a federal agency responsible for delivering humanitarian aid to foreign nations. President Trump has also proposed sweeping changes to U.S. immigration policy including mass deportations for undocumented immigrants.
Hart County resident Joni Gamboa was one of the protesters at the event. She said she's worried about how her child will be impacted by the proposed changes.
"If they cut the education department that will affect my kid and I'm worried about that because I don't want my child to go into high school, not have the help that he needs, drop out of school and to just be labeled as a trouble maker," Gamboa said.
Kay Whitt drove from Allen County to attend the protest. She said she's concerned about the federal administration's withdrawal from the World Health Organization.
"It severely impacts people, Whitt said. "Stopping those aid programs is going to impact everyone. I think it's very shortsighted and these are not the things we voted for."
Whitt said she was hoping to inform others, who might have voted for Trump, how the changes might impact them.
"Making people aware that, maybe you did vote for Trump, but these decision that are being made are going to directly affect you, if not you, then your children because of the Department of Education; your parents because of Social Security and Medicare, the people you work side by side because maybe they're a refugee. I know that's not what people voted for."
A similar protest also took place outside the Kentucky statehouse in Frankfort and multiple cities and state houses across the country.
