Demonstrators Oppose Trump Administration Cuts to Scientific Workforce
More than 1,000 protesters gathered outside a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) building in Boulder, Colorado, on Monday, opposing layoffs ordered by the Trump administration. According to two current employees, the cuts affected more than 10% of scientists working at the facility.
The protest was organised by former US Congressman David Skaggs, a Colorado Democrat, after learning about the job losses. Skaggs, for whom the NOAA building is named, initially expected around 100 attendees. However, police estimated the crowd at over 1,000.
Skaggs said the high turnout reflected growing concerns over the Trump administration’s efforts to reduce federal staffing and spending. “I was in church yesterday and I wept for my country,” he said. “We need to take a deep breath, gather our courage, and stand up for what we know is right.”
NOAA Job Cuts Raise Concerns Over Public Safety
Congressional sources confirmed that over 800 NOAA employees were dismissed last week. In Boulder alone, around 10% of the facility’s roughly 800 workers lost their jobs, according to two current employees who asked to remain anonymous due to job security concerns.
Scientists warn that the layoffs could impact critical services, including space weather forecasting, satellite operations, and emergency warnings for wildfires, tornadoes, and hurricanes. Susan McLean, a retired NOAA manager, said the mass dismissals could make it harder to attract top scientific talent.
“We used to attract people even with lower pay because of our mission, and it was valued by the public,” McLean said. She compared the cuts to previous federal downsizing efforts, saying past reductions were carefully managed, whereas the current cuts were “indiscriminate and without thought.”
Protests Spread to Other NOAA Locations
Demonstrators stressed that defending NOAA should be a bipartisan effort, given the agency’s role in public safety. Brenna Raeder, holding a sign that read “National Weather Service Saves Lives,” criticised the layoffs. “It’s completely insane that we would defund these vital services, including the wildfire forecasts that save lives right here in Colorado,” she said.
Similar protests took place in Silver Spring, Maryland, where another 1,000 demonstrators demanded the reinstatement of fired scientists. “NOAA is critical to safe seafood, weather forecasts, and so many parts of daily life,” said protester Mike Tidwell.
NOAA did not respond to requests for comment regarding the layoffs. However, conservative policy proposals from Project 2025 have called for downsizing NOAA, arguing that it fuels “climate change alarmism” and should be broken up.
With inputs from Reuters