Seth Borenstein
WASHINGTON (AP) — Researchers, doctors, their patients and supporters ventured from labs, hospitals and offices on Friday to stick with the Trump administration’s blitz in saving life sciences.
In the national capital, thousands of people gathered at scientific gatherings. Organizers say similar gatherings are planned in more than 30 cities in the United States.
Politicians, scientists, musicians, doctors and their patients are expected to sack, budget and funding cuts on health, climate, science and other research government agencies during the first 47 days of the Trump administration, which is jeopardizing not only the future, but the present.
“Science is under attack in the United States,” said Rally Co-Organizer Colette Delawalla, a doctoral student in clinical psychology. “We are not only going to stand here to accept it.”
“The American scientific progress and advancement movement is a public good and public good, and is now screaming,” Delavala said.
Health and scientific advances are happening faster than ever, said Francis Collins, a former director of the National Institutes of Health, who helped develop the human genome. He said the cuts cut funding to cut the risk progress of Alzheimer's disease, diabetes and cancer.
“It's been a really bad time, all hope and motivation,” Collins said.
“I'm very worried about my country right now,” Collins said.
Emily Whitehead, the first patient to receive a new type of treatment for rare cancer, told the crowd that at age 5 she was sent to hospice, but car T-cell therapy “teached my immune system to beat cancer” and that she has been sick for nearly 13 years.
“I support science because science saved my life,” Whitehead said.
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Friday's rally in Washington was at the Lincoln Memorial, which created the Presidential Statue of the National Academy of Sciences in 1863. Some expected speakers studied the huge collision galaxy, tiny genetic blueprints of life within humans and a warm atmosphere.
Astronomer Phil Phait told the boo it was an absolute nerd attacking President Donald Trump, Elon Musk and Health Secretary Robert Kennedy J.
Signs include “Editor Elon from American DNA”, “In the evidence of our trust”, “Science is an ignorant vaccine” and “epidemiologist”.
Nobel Prize-winning biologist Victor Ambros, Bill Nye scientist, former NASA chief Bill Nelson, and many other politicians, some patients (some with rare diseases) plan to come to the stage to talk about the importance of their work and scientific research.
From 7 million miles from Earth, NASA has proven that science can transfer potential asteroids that kill planets, Nelson said. He said that about 40 years ago he looked down at the earth, “a sense of awe, you want to be a better steward of what we get.”
The rally was organized mainly by graduate students and early career scientists. Delavala said dozens of other protests were planned around the world, including more than 30 protests in France.
“Science funding cuts will affect the world,” she said.
Protesters gather around the Philadelphia City Hall, home to a well-known, internationally recognized medical facility, with one in six doctors in the United States receiving medical training.
“As a doctor, I stand up for all trans, non-binary patients who are also targeted,” said Cedric Bien-Gund, an infectious disease physician at the University of Pennsylvania. “There is a lot of fear and silence among our patients and all of our staff. It's really frustrating to see.”
Isabella O'Malley contributed from Philadelphia.
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