Protesters listen to a speaker on March 14, 2025, during a rally on the National Mall in Washington to protest cuts at the Department of Veterans Affairs. A second rally on VA cutbacks is planned for June 6 at the National Mall. (Eric Kayne/Stars and Stripes)
WASHINGTON — Organizers of a veteran-led rally scheduled for June 6 in the nation’s capital said they expect about 20,000 people to turn out for a protest against plans by the Department of Veterans Affairs for large staffing cuts and the elimination of hundreds of contracts for veterans services with community organizations.
Members of Unite for Veterans, which describes itself as a coalition of veterans and their advocates, said Friday during an online news conference that it considers the VA’s efforts to reduce personnel and programs as an attack on veterans “earned benefits.”
Other organizations expected to send members to the rally include the Union Veterans Council at the AFL-CIO and the Communications Workers of America, a labor organization with 700,000 members in health care, telecommunications and public service, among other industries.
“This is not a Washington movement. It is a grassroots movement,” said Chris Purdy, an Army National Guard veteran helping to organize the rally, which will run from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the National Mall. “Everyday Americans from all 50 states are coming to D.C. for this rally.”
The rally will feature a range of veterans as speakers and include a musical performance by the Dropkick Murphys, a Boston punk rock band. Purdy said the band approached the group about performing at the rally.
“It will be a privilege to stand shoulder to shoulder with veterans on the anniversary of D-Day,” said Ken Casey, frontman for the band, referring to the rally date, which is on the anniversary of the Allied invasion of German-occupied France in World War II.
The lineup of speakers is growing, Unite for Veterans said. They include Will Attig, Army veteran and executive director of the Union Veterans Council, Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., an Army veteran, Shawn Vandiver, Navy veteran and founder of AfghanEvac, and Adam Kinzinger, an Air Force veteran and former Republican congressman from Illinois.
VA nurses, doctors and veterans who are federal workers also will share firsthand experiences about the impact of the VA hiring freeze and a first round of job cuts targeting 1,400 positions earlier this year.
“Unite for Veterans is about trying to provide feedback and encourage the administration to make the right decisions for veterans,” said Purdy, who leads the Chamberlain Network, formed in 2024 to mobilize veterans to “provide veteran-centered solutions” to national problems. Chamberlain Network is part of the coalition organizing the rally.
Unite for Veterans also announced the release Friday of a video on YouTube about the rally that warns the nation’s democracy is under threat and urged veterans to attend the event.
The 54-second video states: “Eighty-one years ago, Allied forces stormed the beaches of Normandy to begin the long march to Berlin and to end tyranny’s march across the globe. Democracy is once again under threat and again its defense falls to those who swore an oath. On June 6th, 2025, veterans will march on Washington, D.C., to hold accountable those whose word has failed us.”
A goal of the rally is to send a message to VA Secretary Doug Collins to reconsider planned cutbacks of up to 83,000 employees at the agency that were disclosed in a VA memo leaked to news reporters in March, said Joe Plenzler, a retired Marine Corps officer and spokesman at Unite for Veterans.
“We’re asking the VA administration to prove to us that 80,000 jobs cuts will not be bad for veterans,” Plenzler said. “Show us the math. We want them to prove to us that 80,000 [staff] walking out of VA won’t impact our programs and benefits. This is why a lot of veterans are getting hot under the collar about this.”
Funding for the rally and organizing against VA cuts is coming from small donations from veterans, union support and foundations, Purdy said.
“This country gave us a promise. The promise was that they would be there for us when we came home,” he said. “We’re really afraid that the budget will be balanced on the back of veterans who served this country for so long.”
