CARBONDALE, Ill (WSIL) —Chants echoed through downtown Carbondale Tuesday afternoon as residents from across Southern Illinois gathered outside City Hall, united by a single message, “Hands off healthcare, hands off education, hands off!�
From postal workers and healthcare advocates to everyday citizens, the crowd raised signs and their voices in protest of proposed federal budget cuts that many say would devastate working-class families and vulnerable communities.
“The rich are getting richer—and we’re the ones who will have to pay for it,”� says Anusha Thotakura, executive director of citizens action Illinois.
The rally followed a morning roundtable in Marion, where community members detailed how cuts to Medicare, housing, education programs like Head Start, and veterans� services could impact their lives. Later, many of those same voices took to the streets in Carbondale, demanding lawmakers reconsider.
“Even if you're not on Medicare, not a veteran, not experiencing homelessness—it still affects you,”� Thotakura says.
She went on to say, if a single mother can’t get childcare through Head Start, she can’t work. That affects her family and the entire economy of our community.
Among the speakers were healthcare workers and postal employees, both of whom say they’re already stretched thin—and more cuts could put essential services at risk.
We help people with recovery. "We help provide these people with care and with cuts they will end up, homeless, incarcerated, or dead and that's the bottom line of it", said Amber Bridgman, an administrator with Treatment Alternatives for Safe Communities.
Frustration was palpable. Some attendees asked how they could fight back when the decisions seem so far removed from their everyday lives.
“I don’t know what we do about that� He’s the President. He’s in charge. He doesn’t care,� one participant said.
From the crowd, a voice called back: “You’re doing it!�
Leslie Lloyd, another attendee, encouraged action through solidarity.
“Get involved with community organizations. You’ll feel supported. You’ll get ideas.�
Organizers urged people to write letters, make phone calls, and engage their elected officials before final budget decisions are made.
“There’s still time,� said Thotakura. “You can reach out to your Congressman and ask him to oppose cuts to healthcare, education, and housing.�
As the event wrapped with cheers and chants, one thing was certain; this wasn’t just a protest—it was a promise.
A promise that Southern Illinoisans will not stay silent, especially when the health and future of their communities are on the line.
