Manhattan march sees thousands enraged by Medicaid cuts and federal layoffs: ‘They’re killing people’

A coalition of labor unions, political action, and community groups united for a rally and march on March 15, protesting Elon Musk’s and President Trump’s mass federal layoffs and proposed $2 trillion cuts from Medicaid, Medicare, housing and food assistance, education, and other vital programs.

The march kicked off with a rally in Foley Square in downtown Manhattan, where Marcella Gohen held a sign with images of her husband, Robert Viteri. Gohen told amNewYork Metro that Viteri was diagnosed with a rare neurological disease and has been in a nursing home for the past nine years. Viteri relies on Medicaid to pay for his care.

Gohen fears that if Medicaid, the largest health insurance program in the country, were cut, patients like her husband would die.

“My message today is my husband’s not a waste,” Gohen said. “If they’re going to cut Medicaid, they’re killing people.”

Marcella Gohen’s husband Robert Viteri is in a nursing home and relies on Medicaid for his care.Photo by Gabriele Holtermann

On Feb. 25, the House passed a Republican budget resolution calling for $4.5 trillion in tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans. The resolution also increased border enforcement and defense programs by $300 billion while cutting Medicaid by $880 billion and education cuts of $330 billion over the next ten years. Since the start of Trump’s second administration on Jan. 20, Musk’s “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE) has also spearheaded federal layoffs that sent tens of thousands of employees to the unemployment line.

Anthony Peterson, vice president of 1199 SEIU United Healthcare Workers East, representing 400,000 members, including retirees, explained that cutting Medicaid would be detrimental to union members and their patients.

“We have to come to the streets and let the people know we’re ready to fight. And we’re fighting for all unions, all people, all cultures, for everybody,” Peterson told amNewYork Metro.

New Yorkers rally against the proposed cuts to Medicaid, housing, food assistance, and other vital programs in Foley Square in New York, New York, on March 15, 2025. The rally was part of a march, organized by a coalition of labor unions, political action, and community groups.Photo by Gabriele Holtermann

1199 SEIU union members rally against the proposed cuts to Medicaid, housing, food assistance, and other vital programs in Foley Square in New York, New York, on March 15, 2025. The rally was part of a march, organized by a coalition of labor unions, political action, and community groups.Photo by Gabriele Holtermann

His message to Trump supporters impacted by the cuts was, “Wake up. I hope they’ve seen for themselves that they are affected by this, and we were fighting for them anyway, and we’re gonna continue to fight, and we’re gonna pull them along the way.”

According to officials, around 5,500 protestors marched down Broadway past City Hall to Bowling Green, bearing banners and signs. A few hundred protestors split from the march and took a left turn on Wall Street to stage a die-in in front of the New York Stock Exchange, where demonstrators held up tombstone-like signs with messages such as “DOGE Cuts Let Ebola Into USA,” “Died From No Health Insurance,” or “DOGE Cut Off My Medicaid,” highlighting the worst-case scenarios if essential services were cut.

Lisa Raymond-Tolan with Indivisible Brooklyn, which created the signs, told amNewYork Metro that while they were protesting the proposed cuts, the “landscape was a little different” after Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-New York) and nine other Democratic senators voted for the GOP funding bill on Friday to avoid a government shutdown.

A coalition of labor unions, political action, and community groups march against the DOGE and Trump cuts in in New York, New York, on March 15, 2025. Some expressed their outrage with Senator Chuck Schumer (D-New York) for voting to advance the Republican funding bill.Photo by Gabriele Holtermann

A coalition of labor unions, political action, and community groups march against DOGE and proposed cuts to Medicaid, housing, food assistance, and other vital programs in New York, New York, on March 15, 2025.Photo by Gabriele Holtermann

A coalition of labor unions, political action, and community groups march against DOGE and proposed cuts to Medicaid, housing, food assistance, and other vital programs in in New York, New York, on March 15, 2025.Photo by Gabriele Holtermann

A coalition of labor unions, political action, and community groups march against DOGE and proposed cuts to Medicaid, housing, food assistance, and other vital programs in in New York, New York, on March 15, 2025.Photo by Gabriele Holtermann

While protestors joined the chorus of House Democrats who have slammed the Senate minority leader for siding with Senate Republicans, Schumer has defended his vote for the GOP short-term funding bill — arguing that President Trump and Elon Musk’s DOGE would have used a government shutdown to cut funding and fire federal employees at record speed. Raymond-Tolan also feels that Schumer betrayed his constituents.

“Neither choice was a good choice, but there was only one right choice, and that is to oppose a fascist regime,” said Raymond-Tolan, though she was sure that the Senate minority leader lost a “little sleep” over the vote.

“But he’s going to lose so much more sleep because Indivisible is going to be calling for his resignation, and he might lose his job as leader because he’s not fit to lead,” Raymond-Tolan said. “If you’re not ready to meet the moment and fight, then you’re not fit to lead us to save democracy.”

Protesting the proposed cuts to Medicaid, housing, food assistance, and other vital programs, demonstrators, holding up tombstone signs, stage a die-in outside the Stock Exchange in New York, New York, on March 15, 2025. The die-in was part of a march by a coalition of labor unions, political action, and community groups against the DOGE and Trump cuts.Photo by Gabriele Holtermann

Protesting the proposed cuts to Medicaid, housing, food assistance, and other vital programs, demonstrators, holding up tombstone signs, stage a die-in outside the Stock Exchange in New York, New York, on March 15, 2025. The die-in was part of a march by a coalition of labor unions, political action, and community groups against the DOGE and Trump cuts.Photo by Gabriele Holtermann

Brooklynites Nevaeh and Salma marched to stop the education cuts.

“[Trump] is making these cuts for his own benefit,” 18-year-old Nevaeh said. “He’s cutting our education to fund the police. We don’t need more police. We need to be able to go to college without any problem [and] graduate with a degree.”

19-year-old Salma grew up in an immigrant family and told amNewYork Metro that their life was “hard” until her mother joined the U.S. Army.

“We got that chance, and the second we get that chance, we feel like it’s getting taken away from us,” Salma said. “It’s just not fair to everybody. [Trump] is turning his back on everybody, including his own people, in a way. So it’s like broken promises.”