Protesters push back on Trump agenda at Squirrel Hill rally

As she stood at a bustling street corner Sunday afternoon in Pittsburgh’s Squirrel Hill neighborhood, Courtney Anderson said she was thinking about how yanking funding from public schools or dismantling the federal Department of Education could impact underprivileged children.

Anderson, 49, of West View, joined throngs of protesters at the corner of Forbes and Murray avenues in voicing opposition to President Donald Trump. Many expressed concerns over different issues, but all joined together in chants condemning Trump and his multi-billionaire ally Elon Musk, who heads the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) Service.

Anderson, who teaches at a local school, said her primary concern was what would happen to kids whose families couldn’t afford private schools if they were left in public schools that could be stripped of funding and government support.

“I worry about leaving kids behind,” she said.

She held a sign that read, “Research Institutions Are Vital to Pittsburgh,” highlighting concerns that Trump’s proposals to cut federal funding for health sciences research could stall innovation and cost researchers their jobs.

On the other side of her sign, Anderson showed support for aid organizations whose operations could be threatened by the new administration’s cuts, like the United States Agency for International Development and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

“One of the biggest problems with our country is the disparity between people who are comfortable and people who are suffering,” she said. “Under Trump, that disparity is going to grow.”

Tracy Baton is one of the organizers of Indivisible Pittsburgh, which put together Sunday’s rally and a similar protest about a week ago. Baton, 61, of Pittsburgh’s Regent Square neighborhood, is helping bring a coalition of community organizations and residents together to speak up about issues that concern them.

People were drawn to the event because they were worried about everything from election integrity to how national parks would fare after the Trump administration cut 1,000 national parks workers.

Trump has said the goal of his sprawling cuts to the federal government’s spending and workforce is to curb waste and end programs he believes provide no benefit to the American people.

But Josh Affagato, 35, drove an hour from New Castle for Sunday’s protest because he feels such actions are executive overreach. He believes Trump is taking on too much power, yanking the power of the purse from Congress and granting authority to Musk.

“Where are the checks and balances?” he said.

His father, Gary Affagato, 65, said he worried that federal officials had forgotten they’re supposed to work for the people.

“Civil disobedience is what this country was built on,” he said. “If we can’t live up to that, we’re doomed.”

People carried American, Ukrainian and LGBTQ flags and an array of homemade signs as they packed the sidewalks on all four corners of the intersection. Organizers helped people register to vote and collected letters people penned for their congressional representatives. They chanted lines like “stand up, fight back” and “Elon’s got an ugly face, we should shoot him into space.”

State Rep. Dan Frankel, D-Squirrel Hill, said the people gathered gave a voice to those who could be directly impacted by the government’s actions.

“We are going to hold people accountable,” he told supporters, to boisterous applause.

Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey said he was glad to see so many people show up “to push back against Trump’s derogatory policies.”

“We can always overcome,” he said. “We’re going to work hard with our immigrants and refugees and all underserved communities.”

City Councilwoman Erika Strassburger, D-Squirrel Hill, acknowledged some people feel hopeless when they see federal officials taking actions they feel are wrong. But she encouraged people to get involved, volunteering with local organizations, writing to elected officials and using their voices to push back.

“The fear is that there will be an effort to tear us apart and turn us against each other,” she said, pointing out that Sunday’s event brought together people of diverse backgrounds who were motivated by different issues. “This gives me hope we’re going to stick together and stand up for our most vulnerable.”

Some held signs showing support for environmental causes, while signs advocated for Ukraine, science or diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.

One woman said she was drawn to the event because she feared her son, a probationary federal government employee, could lose her job as Trump and Musk aim to scale back the size of the federal workforce, largely targeting such probationary workers.

For JP Leskovich, who is gay, the main concern was protecting LGBTQ rights and access to gender-affirming medications for transgender people, like his own friends and brother.

“It’s a very scary time to be queer right now,” said Leskovich, 27, a student at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law.

Millie Gregor, 40, of Monroeville couldn’t pick just one concern that stood out most for her.

She protested alongside her mother and her daughters. Among her list of concerns: how Trump-appointed health officials would address bird flu, environmental protection and women’s rights. She also worried the Pell grant she received to help fund her education could be revoked.

Donning a “Resist” button on her black puffy coat, Gregor said she showed up Sunday to show her young daughters the importance of using their voices, finding community and standing up for what they believe.

“The world can be so scary,” she said. “But there’s power in numbers.”