NEW YORK, Feb. 18 (Xinhua) -- More than 1,000 people took to the streets in New York City on Monday to protest against policies of the current U.S. administration.

The hours-long march and rally on Presidents Day is part of the nationwide protests organized by the 50501 movement (50 protests, 50 states, one day), a grassroots initiative that calls for protests across the United States.

Most of the participants protested against the U.S. administration's policies on diversity, equity and inclusion, federal workers and data, immigration, as well as climate change.

Aiden Hallinan, who came all the way from Connecticut, told Xinhua that it is really important to join the protests and be part of the solution.

"Even though I myself don't really have any power, I can come to these protests. I can come make my voice heard just like the rest of us here," he said. "When we all come together, you can see what a difference it makes."

There is a lot going on and concerning, but there is also so much hope, and the example is right here in New York and right all across the country, said Hallinan, holding a sign that read "Country over party."

Monday's large-scale protests are the second organized by 50501 following the Feb. 5 protests.

"This country was built on the backs of immigrants and it's frankly disgraceful that we are where we are, deporting anyone who is essentially not white," said a protester who gave her name as Cam.

"It's all about race. It is not at all about so-called criminals," Cam told Xinhua, adding that she personally knew some people who are genuinely terrified by the administration's immigration policy.

"They're going to be deported, even though they're citizens, just because they're not white," said Cam.

The United States has never really addressed its original sin from slavery and is just skirting around it, said Irene Wiley, a writer and actress from New York.

The dialogue about race could not move forward until the country addresses the original sin, Wiley said.

As for the U.S. administration's ongoing cost-cutting plans, Mordecai-Mark Mac Low, a researcher in astrophysics, said, "The amount they're cutting is trivial compared to the amount that the American government is spending. The only thing that we're doing is not taxing the rich highly enough to cover the American budget."

"There's plenty of money in the country. There's plenty of possibility for taxation. We are not facing a crisis. The only crisis is the refusal of the rich to pay their fair share," said Low.

The government would have to spend more to fix problems arising from the cutting of workforce and hire them back as consultants, according to the scholar.

A young female employee of the Department of Veterans Affairs, who requested anonymity, said she felt maltreated.

"I believe that what's happening is really unfair to not only our workers' rights, but just altogether the treatment of us, it's not fair," she said.

The changes made by the Department of Government Efficiency are making things "stressful, chaotic, confusing," said the young woman, wearing a mask and carrying a sign that read "Proud federal worker."

The firing of federal workers is actually not about making the government more efficient, but about getting rid of the federal government altogether, she said.

"So they can privatize everything. So there could be more government contracts," she added. Enditem

Related

Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)