Dinosaurs march to protest National service 'extinction'

Sept. 1 (UPI) -- Hundreds of people dressed in dinosaur costumes took to the streets of Washington D.C. to protest budget cuts affecting national service programs.

Service Year Alliance organized the demonstration on Wednesday against President Donald Trump's 2018 budget proposal that threatens the "extinction" of programs such as the Peace Corps, Teach for America, YouthBuild and City Year.

"While dinosaurs are fun - national service extinction is a serious matter," Service Year Alliance CEO Shirley Sagawa said. "If President Trump's budget becomes reality, the 80,000 young people who serve every year won't be responding to natural disasters like Hurricane Harvey, teaching in our underperforming schools, supporting our veterans, maintaining our national parks, or tackling issues like the opioid epidemic and unemployment."

President Trump's proposed budget would eliminate the Corporation for National and Community Service along with groups such as AmeriCorps, and Volunteers in Service to America.

"Together, we can tell Congress: Stop National Service Extinction," protest organizers said. "Let's expand national service instead."

Protesters wearing inflatable dinosaur costumes walked along eight locations throughout Washington D.C. including Dupont Circle, the White House, the Lincoln Memorial, and Union Station.

"National service advocates made themselves known to Congress and the entire DC community this morning," Sagawa said. "As the Senate sits down to markup the FY18 budget next week, we encourage them to listen to the folks who gathered outside the Capitol and expand national service instead of letting it go extinct."