ST. LOUIS – Around 40 demonstrators gathered Friday morning outside the Cochran VA Medical Center in St. Louis as part of a national movement organized by the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists against federal workforce cuts.
The St. Louis protest was part of a National Day of Action aimed at raising awareness about the impact of federal worker cuts on African-American communities.
According to CBTU, around one in every five federal workers are African-American. The organization says it is concerned that federal workforce cuts are disproportionately targeting African-American employees.
CBTU organized several demonstrations nationwide to stand in solidarity with federal workers facing job and pension insecurity. Organizers chose to protest outside Cochran VA Medical Center for its significant number of federal workers who could be impacted by the cuts.
Many at Friday’s protest voiced their frustrations with U.S. President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk while holding signs with messages such “Rollback Federal Cuts.”
Federal workforce cuts have been a prime focus of the Department of Government Efficiency, an initiative of Trump’s second presidential term that is led by Musk. More commonly known as DOGE, the department aims to reduce government spending and consolidate the federal workforce.
DOGE’s website claims that the department has saved $155 billion through federal workforce cuts as of Friday.