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By Kate Plummer
Senior US News Reporter
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Veterans are set to participate in a day of protests called "Vets Say No" to challenge President Donald Trump's administration on Tuesday.
The protests, organized by About Face, a movement of post 9/11 veterans, and May Day Strong, a self-described anti-authoritarian movement, will take place on Veterans Day, November 11, in different cities in states across the country.
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) directed Newsweek to a news release that said it has "multiple safeguards in place" to ensure staff reductions in the department "do not impact veteran care or benefits."
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The release added that "all VA mission-critical positions" are exempt from the deferred resignation program and voluntary early retirement authority and that more than 350,000 positions are exempt from the federal hiring freeze.
Why It Matters
Since taking office, Trump's popularity has fluctuated and he has been hit with multiple coordinated protests from different groups.
These protests, by veterans, are particular significant as nearly 6 in 10 veterans voted for Trump, according to the Associated Press. Maintaining their support will be important for the GOP when voters participate in the November 2026 midterm elections.
What To Know
The protests are taking place on Veterans Day, a federal holiday that has celebrated those who have served in the U.S. military since 1918, the end of World War.
People will participate in events in cities in California, New York, Oregon, Tennessee, Massachusetts and Washington D.C and other states.
On their events' pages, the organizers said they had been organized to say "no to ICE, no to occupation, no to fascism, and no to cuts stripping away life saving services our communities need."
The organizers said the protests would be nonviolent and that all weapons, even those legally permitted, should not be brought to the events.
It added it was targeting "cities Trump has threatened WITH MILITARY OCCUPATION" to "STAND UP FOR democracy, our rights, and each other."
It comes as veterans have raised concerns about the Trump administration's policies about them. The administration has allowed staff to take voluntary early retirement as part of a plan to reduce VA staff by nearly 30,000 employees by the end of fiscal year 2025, which has sparked concerns about the department's ability to administer healthcare.
It also follows similar actions from veterans. In March, they joined the "NowDC" march at the National Mall in Washington D.C. to protest the Trump administration's proposed cuts to Social Security and other issues.
Veterans also participated in similar actions in June amid concerns about staffing levels at VA.
Meanwhile, other protests by civilian groups including the No Kings movement have drawn large crowds.
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What People Are Saying
A spokesperson for May Day Strong told Newsweek: "We are expecting thousands to join, with large turnout in Chicago, Washington DC, and New York City. We are expecting them to go well, with veterans and community members coming together to speak out about the illegal ICE attacks in our cities, life-threatening federal funding cuts, and the threats of the military occupation."
The Vets Say No website says: "We are watching this administration ruthlessly attack our communities, and we will not stand by. We are saying no for our families, for our communities and for ourselves: no to cuts, no to troops being deployed in our streets, and no to billionaires bleeding our nation dry."
VA Secretary Doug Collins said in a July release: “Since March, we’ve been conducting a holistic review of the department centered on reducing bureaucracy and improving services to Veterans. As a result of our efforts, VA is headed in the right direction — both in terms of staff levels and customer service. A department-wide RIF is off the table, but that doesn’t mean we’re done improving VA. Our review has resulted in a host of new ideas for better serving Veterans that we will continue to pursue.”
What Happens Next
The protests take place on November 11.
Update 11/7/25, 12:15 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with comment from May Day Strong.
Update 11/9/25, 11:42 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with comment from VA and further information to add further information about their plans to reduce the number of VA staff at the agency by the end of the fiscal year.
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