CLEVELAND — A crowd of more than 100 demonstrators gathered outside Cleveland’s City Club Thursday, protesting a sold-out appearance by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
“Too many people buy into this garbage, and he gives it credence, and it’s scary,” said Ramona Baust of Highland Heights.
Baust and her husband, a retired anesthesiologist, were among the protesters holding signs criticizing Kennedy's policies and chanting "RFK has got to go."
Many of those lining Euclid Avenue were worried about what they call the damage done in Kennedy's first 15 months as HHS secretary.
Tyler Stimpert, who works in cancer prevention and outreach, blamed it on “misaligned priorities.”
“We are unfortunately now working with fringe movements and things that do not seem to be rooted in science and backed in medical knowledge,” said Stimpert.
Many of the attendees at the speech were heckled with shouts of “shame” as they entered.
A Cuyahoga County sheriff’s deputy said the event was not open to the media.
But among those filling the City Club Thursday night was former congressman and Cleveland mayor Dennis Kucinich, who was Kennedy’s campaign manager when RFK Jr. ran for president in 2024.
“He and I have been friends for 35 years and some of my friends are Republicans, some of my friends are Democrats, I’m for my friends,” said Kucinich when asked if he believed in Kennedy as the head of HHS.
When pressed again if he believed Kennedy was the best person for the job, Kucinich said, “I think there’s a number of areas that he has challenged the pharmaceutical companies on, and I think everyone knows the drug companies can’t be trusted with our health, and so he’s somebody that deserves to be listened to.”
Gene Groff from Hudson agreed.
He said he supported Kennedy’s efforts to fight obesity in America.
“I don't follow all of his policies, but the term 'Make America Healthy Again,' how could you rule against that?” said Groff.
But it’s not just the message but the messenger that many of the protesters had a problem with.
Some in the group explained they hoped their voices didn’t just echo through Playhouse Square, but all the way to Washington.
“Hopefully maybe somebody will recognize that there’s a big problem, and if we make it a big enough problem, the man in the White House will get rid of him,” said Baust.
