Liam Beran
Madison's rally was part of the nationwide "50 States, 50 Protests."
As hundreds marched around the Capitol Square to protest the policies of President Donald Trump, Diana Goff and Susan Vennard stood back near the Forward statue, chatting with each other in the cold.
Vennard, who lives in Middleton, and Goff, who lives in Sparta, met at the Feb. 5 protest: “I was drawn to her mellowness,” says Vennard, a retiree, laughing.
Goff tells Isthmus that the actions of the Trump administration have taken a personal toll. Her voice breaks as she describes what life feels like in Sparta, located about two hours northwest of Madison. Her hometown, she says, is “a lot more Republican-driven [and] a lot more Trump-driven” than Madison.
“It’s a different world up there,” she says. “The people like us have to keep a low profile.”
She says several of her grandchildren are LGBTQ+ and she is concerned about growing hostility toward the community.
“It scares the hell out of me, that there are targets on their backs now. That they just can’t be,” Goff says. “And I can’t save them.”
Liam Beran
'I think that being quiet about what we believe in is how we start to get separated from one another,' says Julie Mankowski, above, one of the organizers of the Madison protest.
It was unclear whether Madison would turn out for the protest that happened in cities across the country. On Reddit, where much of the organizing for the protests happened, many criticized the gatherings as vague and lacking clear objectives.
Julie Mankowski, one of the organizers of the Madison protest, says the rallies were meant to be grassroots. She says people are burned out from the barrage of bad news coming from Washington, D.C., and many are wary of even attending protests. She encouraged those feeling apathy to reach out to the community around them.
“I think that being quiet about what we believe in is how we start to get separated from one another,” Mankowski says.
One of the speakers at the Madison rally was Peter Kerndt, a former employee of the U.S. Agency for International Development.
“Over 3,000 of us were terminated unlawfully,” said Kerndt, who said he was laid off on Jan. 28 from the agency’s tuberculosis program, part of what he calls the agency’s “life-saving work throughout the world.” The program works to stem the spread of tuberculosis around the world, a disease which causes upwards of 1.5 million deaths annually.
“This must not stand,” Kerdnt said. “I’m so glad to see so many here. Please speak out.”
Liam Beran
Protesters, including Peter Kerndt, above with sign, criticized Elon Musk for his moves to dismantle federal agencies.
As of Tuesday, the Trump administration put all of USAID’s “non-essential” direct hires on administrative leave and gave them 30 days to return to the United States, effectively shuttering the agency, which provided $68 billion in humanitarian support in 2023. Congressional Democrats immediately blasted the move as unconstitutional and likely subject to a legal challenge.
Karen Lavalley, a physician’s assistant in family practice, held up a sign decrying Trump’s attempts to dismantle the FBI, U.S. Department of Education and U.S. Agency for International Development.
Lavalley has hosted over 40 international students through Madison Friends of International Students, a program that assists international university students in finding housing and support.
“They are hungry for education, they want to have, like us, an ability to raise their family. And our help will help that along,” Lavalley says. She opposes Trump’s efforts to dismantle the USAID. “We shouldn’t be afraid, we should be giving out to the people.”
Several people held signs criticizing Elon Musk. Vennard says her biggest issue is the authority Trump has given Musk, the world’s richest man and an unappointed Trump adviser who is seeking to reshape the federal government.
“He has more power than Trump does,” Goff agreed.
Vennard says despite current events, she is personally comfortable. “I’ve got a sweet life. But I cannot stand that this is going on.”
Liam Beran
