"I was in church yesterday and I wept for my country," said former U.S. Congressman David Skaggs who organized the protest. "We need to take a deep breath and gather our courage and stand up for what we know is right.

The gathering, sparked by mass layoffs at the agency, was also used to protest other Trump administration moves.

Hundreds of federal employees, scientists and community members gathered in to protest mass layoffs at NOAA and other federal agencies amid Trump administration funding cuts.