Protesters took to downtown Gainesville again Friday afternoon. This time the issues were the proposed closing of the city’s Social Security Office and another call for Congressman Andrew Clyde (R-Jackson County) to hold an in-person town hall meeting.
The Gainesville Social Security Office is one of five in Georgia targeted for closing by the federal Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) – referred to on the flyer announcing the demonstration as “Another DOGE casualty,” which also described the gathering as a “funeral service” for the office. “Cause of death” was listed as “indifference by Congressman Adrew Clyde.”
The other offices targeted for closing are in Vidalia, Thomasville, Brunswick and Columbus.
Clyde, meanwhile, said after the last demonstration that he recently held a virtual town hall meeting but those who have demonstrating in Gainesville have been demanding an in-person meeting. The other Hall County congressional representative, Rich McCormick (R-Suwanee) held one a few weeks ago.
House Speaker Mike Johson has recommended that GOP members of Congress not hold in-person sessions to avoid the kind of backlash McCormick ran into.