While city officials hoisted Illinois’ bicentennial flag above Peoria City Hall Mon., shouts from protesters could be heard a few blocks away.
The grassroots organization Indivisible Peoria gathered about 30 people outside the Federal Building on Main St. to decry the Republicans’ tax cut legislation.
Co-organizer Jean Sloan says she learned about the bicentennial event too late to reschedule the protest. But she says what she first saw as a scheduling conflict is actually appropriate.
“What better way to celebrate than to connect with something? To be active and make some changes, locally, county, state, national," Sloan said.
Sloan says the tax overhaul will most hurt Illinois’ poor and working class individuals.
“All they’re doing is shuffling the money around," Ken Whetstone, of Spring Bay said. "They’re taking money from people who don’t have income and making them pay the taxes, and all that money goes up and never comes back.”
Whetstone says he votes independent and is worried about what could happen to his health care covered by Medicare. President Trump promised not to cut Medicare while on the campaign trail. But some Republicans, like Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, say changes to the program and social security is the next step of the tax overhaul.
The grassroots organization Indivisible is helping facilitate similar protests in cities nationwide.