BILLINGS — Dozens of residents stood in frigid temperatures Monday to participate in a “Not My President’s Day” protest outside the new city hall.
The local demonstration began at noon and was part of a national movement orchestrated by the grassroots organization 50-50-1, which seeks to oppose policies enacted by President Donald Trump since he returned to the White House and the direction set by Elon Musk as the head of the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Watch the video for this story here:
Organizers pointed to significant executive actions, including federal agency restructuring, immigration policy changes, and recent government layoffs as key motivators behind the protests.
"I'm outside today because it's a national movement going on right now. 50 states, 50 capitals, one day, and if you can't get to the Capitol, we're at the Federal Building here," said Steve Zediker, a protester. “There's like 100 people out here in minus zero conditions because they're here for what they believe in.”
People United Billings, a local activist group, organized Monday's event and was pleased with the outcome of supporters despite the harsh weather conditions.
"Montanans aren't going to sit and be quiet while our country is sold to corporate oligarchs and taken over by felons. We're not going to sit quietly, even when it is a blizzard," said Sullivan Huebner, who does public relations for the organization. "It's a bunch of small communities that are banding together saying, 'No one's taking action yet here. We have to.'"
Among the demonstrators was Mary Broache, who lost her job as an administrative assistant for the Bureau of Reclamation in Billings just days before.
"On Friday, I was fired," said Broache. "(My bosses) expressed that they were sorry and that it was coming from up above much higher than them. Then we had to sign a paper saying that our performance was poor, which was not true. I had never had a poor word from my supervisor before that.”
The Trump administration has initiated a series of mass layoffs targeting thousands of federal probationary employees as part of a broader strategy to reduce government spending. The president described these cutbacks last week as tackling “billions and billions of dollars in waste, fraud, and abuse."
Probationary employees are federal workers who have been in their positions for typically less than two years, whether a recent hire, promoted, or moved positions. In this probationary period, they have not yet gained civil service protection.
"I think if we take those people and say, you know what, instead of working in a mine shaft and carrying manila envelopes to boxes in a mine shaft, you could do practically anything else, and you would add to the goods and services of the United States in a more useful way,” said Musk in a press conference at the Oval Office last Tuesday. “We're really just talking about adding common sense controls that should be present that haven't been present.”
Broache and several other of her colleagues were blindsided by the decision, particularly since the administration had previously increased funding for their bureau during Trump's first term.
"It was just shocking. The day before, we had been told that we would not lose probationary employees, and then the very next day, they fired us," said Broache.
Broache's office was set to complete 23 geological reports related to dam safety but now will struggle to even complete half with fewer staff. She expressed concern over the potential impacts this decision could have on public safety if landslide inspections and other critical tasks can not be completed.
“I think people don't understand. They trust what's being told that these are non-critical employees, but what I am seeing is that they're not non-critical employees. They are people that were doing very important work for the safety of the public," said Broache. “There are ways that you can make cuts to government that are legal and prudent, and there is what they're doing, which is demolishing it blindly."
While some support these budget cuts as necessary measures to control excessive government spending, many protesters voiced frustration regarding the broader implications these cuts will have.
“It doesn't do any good if you're just sitting at home behind your computer screens. The only way people are going to see what's happening is if they actually see you out there doing it," said Zediker. "There are a lot of folks who are afraid to be seen right now, and I think it's up to those of us who really don't care if we're seen or not to be out here on their behalf.”
The “Not My President’s Day” protests across the nation reflect an unease by some over the direction of the federal government and its impact on everyday lives, with many participants committed to making their voices heard against what they see as reckless policies.
"What we didn't see were a large number of anti-democracy protesters fighting us," added Huebner. "We'll stand here in the snow. We'll stand here and do it if they won't. This is the fight. As long as we can be peaceful, this is what we have to do."
