(Photo by Gwen Sour) Protestors on the corner of Front and Putnam streets in Marietta display their signs to passersby during Saturday afternoon’s protest.

MARIETTA — Despite rain and overall dreary weather, over five hundred protestors gathered at Muskingum Park in Marietta on Saturday to oppose what speakers called “unconstitutional” and “reckless actions” by the Trump administration.

This protest coincided with a series of protests across the nation from several different movements: The #50501 movement which touts the mission of decentralized protests across all fifty states with one movement and The Hands Off! group which describes the protest as a national day of action.

Organizers and attendees rallied at the gazebo in Muskingum Park before marching across a local bridge to increase visibility. They carried signs some of which read, “Hands off our unions, hands off Medicare, hands off our education!”, “Wake up America, Resist Now!” and “Defund Doge.”

Eric Engle who is chief steward of National Treasury Employees Union Chapter 190 which represents workers at the Bureau of Fiscal Services and a self-proclaimed long-time climate activist with the Mid-Ohio Valley Climate Action group, criticized the administration’s economic and environmental policies, warning of irreversible damage to the planet.

“There is no planet B,” he said. “This is it. And we’re treating it like garbage. Indigenous cultures plan for seven generations– we can’t even plan for seven years.”

(Photo by Gwen Sour) Protestors lined the Putnam Street Bridge on Saturday in Marietta to protest against the current presidential administration.

Engle also condemned Trump’s recent executive order weakening collective bargaining rights for federal employees, calling it a direct attack on unions and civil service diversity.

“The federal workforce is the most diverse workforce in this country– that’s why he came for it first,” Engle said. “This is about white supremacy, patriarchy, and oligarchy. And we won’t stand for it.”

Healthcare was another key theme. Casey Brunetti, a local physician assistant, highlighted the potential impact of proposed Medicaid cuts, noting that over 19% of Washington County relies on Medicaid.

“We are talking about losing healthcare for friends, neighbors, and family,” Brunetti said. “And possibly 20,000 healthcare jobs across Ohio.”

Brunetti decried the administration’s personnel cuts to the Department of Health and Human Services, including layoffs at the CDC and FDA.

(Photo by Gwen Sour) Hundreds of individuals listen to speakers during a protest in Muskingum Park on Saturday.

“They are making America sick again,” Brunetti said, pointing to the resurgence of measles and the appointment of vaccine skeptics to key health posts.

Individuals were invited to share their own thoughts and stories from how they have been personally affected by the administration.

Pam Argabrite spoke of her autistic son and her fears under a president “who mocks the disabled.”

Tim Dick shared an experience crossing into Canada with his partner and family. “When we went up through the border patrol, they stopped us, asked for our passports, driver’s licenses, and the usual question — why are we coming to Canada?” Dick recalled. “And I said, ‘Because we love Canada. You guys are our friends. We’re here to support you, and we understand what’s going on.”

“He said, ‘I really appreciate hearing that.’ And then he told us about people coming through who don’t even realize what’s happening — the divisions among family and friends. But presence and voice make a difference,” Dick said. “Sometimes when you feel small or alone, you’re not. We are big when we gather together and our voices are heard.”

(Photo by Gwen Sour) From left, Tim Dick and Michael Dickinson share their perspective on working together for a successful protest at Saturday afternoon’s Protest in Muskingum Park in Marietta.

(Photo by Gwen Sour) Casey Brunetti, right, discusses her worries about individuals accessing healthcare during Saturday afternoon’s protest in Marietta.

(Photo by Gwen Sour) Eric Engle decries the current presidential administration in a speech during Saturday afternoon’s protest in Marietta’s Muskingum Park.