The Feb. 17 local 50-50-1 protest, which played out against the President’s Day holiday backdrop, drew the largest of several local efforts. All focused on President Donald Trump and his sweeping policies.
The common thread: fear and frustration with the Draconian cuts President Trump and Elon Musk are proposing to federal programs and employees.
And, many are scared.
Just ask Katherine Whalen of Buffalo.
“We're absolutely terrified,” Whalen said. “Not only is my daughter only 13 and her niece, I'm pregnant with a little girl, and I'm terrified of what the world will be when I bring her into it.”
Braving the icy winds and single-digit temperatures was not going to keep the crowd away.
They believe in the 50-50-1 movement of 50 protests, 50 states in 1 day.
Clarence resident David O’Donnell, owner of Eastern Monarch Butterfly, agrees the National Day of Protest is a call to action.
“We're fighting for the environment. A lot of things are being cut. The National Park System, people that work there. This administration is very anti-environment, and the environment is a foundation of human civilization, and he is affecting it, not only in the United States, but across the planet,” O’Donnell said.
Organizers say expect more 50-50-1 protests in the future and expect them to continue to grow in size and voice.the
