Carrying signs and chanting, about 100 unionized government employees gathered outside the McNamara Building in downtown Detroit on Thursday to protest the federal shutdown.

"Nobody deserves to work and not get paid," said Betty Belcher of Southfield who attended with her husband, Christopher. Both work at the Department of Veterans Affairs.

While that agency is still open, the Belchers said they turned out to support the 800,000 employees nationwide who have gone without pay since the shutdown began at midnight Dec. 22.

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"They not only hurt us but they hurt the people we represent," Christopher Belcher said as motorists honked horns in support as the crowd chanted, "Open up the government."

Diane Russell, a community involvement coordinator at the Environmental Protection Agency Office in Flint, said the rally Thursday gave her a reason to get out of bed.

Russell said for her, the shutdown is a huge issue and she's been wracked with anxiety.

"This is not a vacation," she said, "I can't do the public service that is my life's purpose."

The rally was organized by the American Federation of Government Employees to highlight the effect of the shutdown. The government stoppage threatens to stretch into a fourth week as President Trump and Democrats continue a stalemate over funding for Trump's proposed southern border wall.