Estimated read time: 4-5 minutes
- Hundreds rallied at Utah's Capitol to support Ukraine and federal workers.
- Protestors criticized President Donald Trump and Elon Musk for proposed federal workforce cuts.
- Speakers warned cuts could harm Utah's economy and national parks, urging action against Trump's policies.
SALT LAKE CITY — Chanting in solidarity with Ukrainians, federal workers and immigrants, hundreds of Utahns poured onto the steps of the Capitol Tuesday in the latest of a series of protests against the Trump administration.
Following an angry exchange in the Oval Office between President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy last week which prompted the freezing of all U.S. aid, protestors arrived waving the Ukrainian flag with shirts emblazoned with the nation's coat of arms and sunflowers pinned to their jackets.
A cry of "Viva Ukraine" was met with cheers in support of the beleaguered nation, now in its fourth year of defending against the full-scale invasion launched by Russia in 2022. Demonstrators accused Trump of siding with Russia over traditional European allies, and signs decried the president as a "puppet" of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
If the blue and yellow of Ukraine was one of the most prominent visuals of the demonstration, the most palpable anger was an anti-elite rage directed at Trump and billionaire Elon Musk, who is working to enact sweeping cuts to the civil service.
Speakers warned that Musk's efforts to slash the federal workforce would have a disproportionate impact on Utah — where thousands of northern Utahns work for the Internal Revenue Service and supporting Hill Air Force Base, and visitors to the five national parks contribute greatly to the economy in southern Utah.
One of those federal workers, Tammy — who asked that she be identified only by her first name because she feared retribution — told KSL.com she had received "threatening" emails from Washington's Office of Personnel Management and the Department of Government Efficiency and worries every day that she could be fired. The Ogden resident has worked in the civil service for more than two decades and said she is close to earning her retirement benefits.
Tammy said proposed cuts are being made indiscriminately, with little regard for retaining federal employees who do critical work.
"This is happening so rapidly that the changes that are being made are done with no forethought," she said. "There is no knowledge of what the employees' positions are, what their job duties entail, or the impact that it's going to have — not only to the employees and the federal budget but to the larger community. They're making uneducated changes to the government that are going to have far-reaching negative impacts."
The impacts of cuts to the federal workforce may be felt acutely in national parks in the state, according to Cordell Roy, a former superintendent at several parks and state coordinator for the National Park Service.
"What's going on with this craziness imposed by Washington is like watching a slow-moving train wreck for us that pay attention to the National Park Service," he told the crowd of about 500 gathered on the Capitol's south steps. "The American people certainly voted for change in the last election, but they certainly did not vote to decimate the national park system or destroy the National Park Service."
"To borrow a phrase," he added, "these lands are your lands. ... They deserve to be well-managed, well-staffed and well-protected. We should care about them. They're the reason people care about us."
Some demonstrators said they wanted their efforts to inspire elected Republicans in Utah to stand up against some of Trump's policies, but many said they showed up simply to show solidarity with vulnerable people and feel a stronger sense of community.
"These days, I'm finding it harder and harder to articulate the rage in my heart," said Eammon Larsen. "Everywhere I turn, there's another fire, another act of hate, another injustice meant to exhaust, scorch and crush the soul. My mind screams for action, but I know my voice alone can't stop this tide of injustice."
Several protestors expressed concern that Trump's efforts to slash federal spending will gut programs such as Medicaid insurance for low-income Americans and Social Security benefits for retirees, and encouraged those gathered to speak out on what they believe are popular issues.
"I've been a civil servant for 26 years, and I was always proud to be an American," Tammy said. "And not only am I embarrassed right now, but I am ashamed, and I am scared — extremely scared — for all of our children."
