Hundreds of former National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) employees, former employees and their supporters gathered in front of the federal office’s headquarters in Silver Spring Monday morning to protest what they called illegal firings and unfair dismantling of the organization they love.
Some in the crowd received an email Feb. 27 from the President Donald Trump Administration saying they were fired. Most of the people MCM reached out to said they were still processing what they called an illegal end to their dream job.
“He’s devastated. He couldn’t even be here” at the rally, said one man whose partner was fired. He chose not to identify himself or his partner, who he said is “just taking it day by day.”
Several legislators spoke at the rally, including U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-8), Glenn Ivey (D-4), April McClain Delaney (D-6) and Don Beyer of Virginia, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen and Maryland Del. Lorig Charkoudian (D-20). Former NOAA administrators also spoke.
McClain Delaney told the crowd that the personnel cuts are “not about waste, fraud and abuse.” Rather, she said, they are about gaining control of the satellites and employee data.
Added Beyer, “This is about taking NOAA and the National Weather Service and privatizing them.”
The crowd sang protest songs together with the Rapid Response Choir.
Many carried signs that read – Our Forecast is Dire Without NOAA; Blast Musk to Mars and Don’t Mess With Mother Nature or NOAA.
Prior to the recent firings, NOAA had 12,000 employees spread throughout 600 offices nationwide. About half are scientists and researchers.
Last week, at least 650 employees were terminated.
Hundreds protest firings at NOAA headquarters in Silver Spring Monday @mymcmedia pic.twitter.com/qfTn3oDuz9
— suzanne pollak (@SuzannePollak) March 3, 2025
