Local advocates are hoping to send a message to the Trump administration about its recent budget cuts through a Saturday rally in Cookeville.
Cookeville Fights Back Organizer Anne Austin said Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency has made unnecessary cuts to several productive federal programs. Austin said it is time for people to take a stand.
“We are coming together to stand up and say hey hands off, quit slashing our programs,” Austin said. “If you want efficiency send in experts with a scalpel, not a chainsaw, and look at where cuts can be made that make us more efficient rather than slashing programs that make everything less efficient.”
Austin said the rally will have several speakers. Austin said the rally has come to Cookeville to spread awareness to the local people of what is happening in Washington D.C.
“The citizens of Cookeville are concerned as well,” Austin said. “This makes it visible. This lets other people know that they are not alone if they are scared out there and if they are worried about their benefits being cut, about the parks, the national being closed or not being maintained. It lets them know that there are a lot of people in this area. We have had a tremendous response to this who are very very concerned.”
Austin said though the rally may see individuals or counter-protestors the rally is designed to be peaceful.
“That is the top core principle of Hands Off is that they are non-violent actions,” Austin said. “We go through training and have safety monitors and we are asking all participants to de-escalate if there are counter-protestors or someone confronting us that we disagree with, because we can be civil while we are standing up for our constitutional rights.”
The Hands Off Rally will run from 11am-1:30pm at the Putnam County Courthouse.
