“Internally, we were told to leave phones in cars or turn off service while at these events,” said one employee at the Food and Drug Administration. “Don’t get in pics, etc. That there’s a chance for retaliation.” Splinter heard from a number of employees across several agencies who attended protests over the weekend, and some refrains emerged: people tended to wear masks, maybe along with sunglasses or hats, to try and stay out of photos; they left phones at home or turned off, and only organized with other people via more secure apps like Signal; in general they don’t post on social media about the events.
Those precautions make sense in a country where virtually anything seems to be grounds for firing — from leaving a badge at one’s desk while going to bathroom to scientific disagreements. Federal employees have as much to protest about as anyone, but also the most immediate risk. “We were saved from the RIFs but can’t really do any science,” said an employee inside the Department of Health and Human Services who attended a protest on Saturday. “I wore a mask just in case.”
Even after the mass firings that have come down so far, there are still millions of employees in government, and of course some attended protests openly, and continue to post on social media — though there are consequences. One employee who was at Saturday’s enormous events told Splinter that a colleague has been reprimanded for LinkedIn posts recently. “We are constantly in fear of retaliation,” they said. “It’s affecting how we do our job.”
Still, several of the employees Splinter spoke with said many of their colleagues attended, even with the air of fear and retribution. “A lot of them attended this one, and prior ones,” the FDA employee said. “Quietly though.” Another employee inside the Department of Veterans Affairs said there is a lot of concern about doing anything publicly that could be considered to represent the agency; some people who attended the protests tempered what they put on signs in order to keep things more broad or vague — “RIF Trump” or “Defend Our Constitution,” for example. Even then, the nervousness about attending remained for some.
“I feel not thrilled when people take photos because it’s not always clear their intentions but I’m not going to let that stop me,” the VA employee said. “At this point there is an extent of feeling like if I get fired I get fired. Who knows if I’ll get RIF’d anyways so trying to live within my values.” Another employee, who lives in a smaller community on the West Coast, attended a protest in spite of the risk of recognition. “We have been told you can do what you want on your free time but not to draw attention to the agency if we can help it.”
They do have some institutional support in the form of unions; the largest union of federal employees, the AFGE, emailed all its members at least twice in the days leading up to the protests, encouraging participation. “”We’ve all seen the senseless layoffs of our friends and colleagues, the unlawful attacks on our unions,” a message sent on April 3 read. “It’s time to join unions and other Americans in the streets to send a message: Hands off!”
As the attempts to dismantle the government continue, there will be plenty more opportunities for the people trying to keep it running to protest — and they will. “I am angry,” an HHS employee said. “And so many other feds are too.”
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