Bethlehem group to hold die-in demonstration over federal budget cuts Monday

BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Indivisible Lehigh Valley Bethlehem will stage a healthcare die-in protest Monday evening at Third and Wyandotte Park in Bethlehem, adjacent to the Hill to Hill Bridge, to demonstrate against the recently passed budget reconciliation bill.

The protest is scheduled for 6 p.m. at the park located at the end of the Hill to Hill Bridge on Route 378 South, across from the Cathedral of the Nativity and the Sayre Mansion.

The event will begin with protesters holding signs along the sidewalks adjacent to the park. At 6:30 p.m., Brooke McDermott, lead organizer for Indivisible Lehigh Valley Bethlehem, and Mark Pinsley, Lehigh County Controller, will address the group about the budget bill’s impacts on Medicaid.

At 6:40 p.m., protesters will lie down on the grass for a three to five-minute meditation. Pre-made tombstones will line the protest area. The program concludes at 6:45 p.m.

Organizers are asking attendees to wear black and bring signs to the event. The group emphasizes that the event adheres to the principles of non-violence.

The protest targets the budget reconciliation bill, which organizers refer to as the “One Big Beautiful Bill.” The House agreed to the Senate amendment on July 3, and President Donald Trump signed the legislation into law on July 4.

According to data posted by the Pennsylvania Governor’s Office on July 2, 17,519 people could lose Medicaid coverage, and 6,069 could lose SNAP benefits in PA-07 as a result of the legislation.

Rep. Ryan MacKenzie and Sen. Dave McCormick are among the elected officials the group plans to hold accountable for the passage of the legislation.