Federal Workers Rally In New York to Protest Musk Jobs Purge

Hundreds of federal employees rallied across downtown Manhattan on Wednesday to protest the Trump administration’s cuts to the public sector workforce at the hands of the so-called Department of Government Efficiency led by billionaire Elon Musk.

Current and former federal employees, some of whom had received termination letters in recent days, and their supporters gathered outside the Javits Federal Building in lower Manhattan and nearby Foley Square, with others massing in Washington Square Park. The rallies were part of a national day of action for federal workers across dozens of states that also included Michigan, California and Texas. The effort was organized by unions including the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) and the International Federal of Professional & Technical Engineers (IFPTE).

While the full effect of Trump and Musk’s purge of the federal workforce will not be felt for months or years, it could have a devastating effect on the government’s ability to carry out infrastructure projects, investigate workplace abuses and inspect public housing for lead and asbestos. Suzanne Englot, a member of the AFGE, called on local leaders to act with “urgency” to help stop DOGE’s “dismantling of the federal government.”

“I know that people across federal agencies have been fired, put on leave, are worried about the work that they’re doing, that they won’t be able to do it, and I know that that’s going to really hurt the American public,” said Englot. Read more in THE CITY!