By Reginald Johnson
NEWTOWN, CT --- Despite a chill
in the air and light rain, hundreds of people showed up at a park here Saturday to protest the Trump administration’s possible cutbacks in federal services
including Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security and legal attacks on the
rights of immigrants and pro-Palestinian activists.
The “Hands-off”
rally was one of many held in Connecticut and around the
country to demonstrate strong grassroots opposition to the reductions discussed by
President Trump and his billionaire advisor Elon Musk and the administration’s
fascistic policies on deportations and free speech rights.
“I want to
let you know that in Connecticut people are coming out by the thousands!” Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz shouted to the crowd. “In
Middletown, I was at a march with 1000 people, in Guilford there was 700 people
on Guilford Green, there was 1000 people on the New Haven Green and now we’re
looking at here 500 plus people in Newtown strong!” she said, as people
cheered.
"People are saying “Hands off our
rights, hands off our liberty, hands off our democracy, and hands off our
wallets!” Bysiewicz said, adding “That’s why Donald Trump, while you’re out playing
golf, in Newtown we’re standing up and speaking out about everything that’s
right about our country.”
Bysiewicz went on: “What’s really important is that the proposed federal cuts are aimed at decimating all of the programs that lifted people up and kept people out of poverty. That is Medicare, that is Medicaid and that is Social Security --- the things that help the most vulnerable people in our state. If you don’t know this, you need to, that in Connecticut nearly 1 million people out of 3 million plus residents, rely on Medicaid for their healthcare. So that’s our kids, that’s our elderly, those are the pregnant moms."
Trump and
officials in his administration insist that they plan no actual reduction
in services in programs like Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security but they are trying to root out “waste, fraud and abuse.” Musk, who is heading the new "Department of
Government Efficiency," or “DOGE,” maintains that the waste uncovered will secure
hundreds of billions of dollars worth of savings, without reducing services.
But people at
the Newtown rally and other critics say Trump and Musk are lying and that cutbacks in services are definitely on the horizon and people will be
hurt.
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| Rally-goers in Newtown express their feelings. (Reginald Johnson photo) |
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| Some fear the rise of fascism under Trump. (Reginald Johnson photo) |
