WILKES-BARRE, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — Protestors marched from City Hall to the Luzerne County Courthouse, fighting what they call government overreach and Elon Musk’s involvement in the Trump administration.
Nearly 200 took to the streets in Wilkes-Barre armed with banners, signs, and their winter coats to protest a number of issues with President Donald Trump and his administration.
At the forefront of this protest: The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) established by Trump and led by Elon Musk.
DOGE has been a topic of debate since its inception earlier this year, leading many to worry about Musk’s involvement in the administration.
“We’re in deep doo-doo with this president, and DOGE, as we call him. It’s chaos, it’s insane,” said Stroudsburg protestor Cynthia Crowner.
The Trump administration has said that it plans to use DOGE to cut down on federal spending, maximizing governmental efficiency and productivity, but some people are not convinced.
“I think a lot of people are just really concerned about some of the cuts that Elon Musk is making, sometimes under the cover of night,” Action Together NEPA Chief of Staff Michelle Rothenbecker explained.
The decentralized organization, known as 50501, which stands for 50 protests, 50 states, one movement, was born on the social media platform Reddit, calling upon people nationwide to organize protests like this one.
Organizations like Action Together NEPA spread the message further, gathering concerned citizens throughout northeastern Pennsylvania to attend.
In a press release, members of 50501 said in part the following:
We do not believe that the current administration is embodying the ideals that we continue to fight for to make our nation great. Let us be clear: We did not elect Elon Musk. He is not our President.
Glo, Pol Rev & 50501 Movement
But the Trump administration argues that this federal reform is exactly what the people wanted.
“The people voted for major government reform, there should be no doubt about that. That was on the campaign, the president spoke about that at every rally. The people voted for major government reform, and that’s what the people are going to get. They’re going to get what they voted for,” Musk stated.
50501 has said that it’s a peaceful movement and will not tolerate violence at any of the protests happening across the country.
You can find the full release from 50501 below:
