SPRINGFIELD — Although he’s conducting his postdoctoral research at a university famed for its activism, Andrew Kennard never found himself participating in any political protests. But the new administration of President Donald Trump has changed that.

Kennard, who began his research in the biology department at UMass Amherst in 2021 after receiving a doctorate in biophysics from Stanford, said Trump’s attacks on the National Institute of Health, including a freeze on grant reviews, felt like an “existential” threat for scientists like himself.

“It’s like the worst person you know from high school is now in charge of funding, and trying to tell us what to do,” Kennard said. “It’s just something out of a nightmare book.”

Kennard plans to participate in a series of “Choose to Fight” protests held by the Indivisible Mass Coalition, which organized several protests in Springfield and Boston at the offices to U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey. The first of those protests in Springfield took place on Tuesday afternoon, with more than 50 local activists attending.

The protests, which continue Wednesday, are targeting the actions of Elon Musk, the unelected centibillionaire CEO of Tesla who has stated his intent to slash up to $1 trillion from federal spending, with Trump’s support.

Demonstrators at the protest on Tuesday, which drew many Hampshire County residents, likened Musk’s actions during the initial weeks of the Trump’s presidency as a “coup,” including gaining access to the payment system for the Treasury Department, responsible for the distribution of Medicare and Social Security; accessing federal employee data at the Office of Personnel Management; and taking over the U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID, and calling for the elimination.

“This is not about policy. This is a premeditated, deliberate attempt to overthrow the Constitution,” said Arlene Kirsch, a member of Indivisible Mass and a Northampton resident during the rally. “As an elderly woman and as constituent here in this state, I have to say that I am scared to death. I live on Social Security and I don’t know if my next check is coming.”

Marta Lev, another Northampton resident and member of Indivisible Mass, called on Democratic Congress members, including Warren and Markey, to take a hard line against Musk’s actions.

“It’s really clear that the current administration has no interest in governing. It’s all about destroying the government by whatever means they can wield, regardless of legality,” Lev said. “Democrats must use every procedural tool they have to grind Senate work to a halt. They must force Republicans to feel the cost of backing Trump’s extremist agenda.”

Many programs targeted for slashing funding by Musk have to do with diversity, equity and inclusion or relating to sexuality and gender. Shirley Egerton, a member of the Berkshires chapter of the NAACP, said at the rally she saw the moves as an attack on civil rights.

“As a person who lived during the civil rights movement, I stand here and say, ‘We shall not be moved today,’” Egerton said. “We will not tolerate democracy being destroyed by 47,” a reference to Trump.

Kennard, the UMass postdoctoral student, told the Gazette the government’s attacks on diversity also drove him to protest.

“We have a diverse country. We need researchers with diverse backgrounds to understand what is needed to study,” Kennard said. “The fact they’re going after this in such a petty and hateful and illegal way is really infuriating.”

Markey, Warren respond

Representatives from Markey and Warren’s office also were present at the rally, each reading a statement written by the senators that supported the protester’s demands.

“I will never give in to the billionaire bullies that are seeking to overthrow our democratic institutions so that they can raid the United States’ coffers at the expense of working families,” Markey said in a letter read by his office’s regional director, Jesse Lederman. “In the last 14 days, my number one priority has been pushing back against these unconstitutional and illegal actions by this administration.”

Mark-Antonio Williams, a member of Warren’s office, also read a statement written by the senator, saying that, “We are living in a nightmare created by Donald Trump and Elon Musk, and we need to wake up. We need to use every tool to fight back, and that’s just what I’m doing in the senate.”

Alexander MacDougall can be reached at amacdougall@gazettenet.com.