Federal employees protest shutdown in front of White House Hundreds of federal employees protest in front of the White House demanding an end to the government shutdown. "We've got a little bit saved up but not enough to keep going indefinitely," explains a protester. The government has now been shutdown for 20 days, as Trump and Democratic lawmakers remain at an impasse over his demand for $5.7 billion to build a wall on the Mexican border, meanwhile putting a hold on the paychecks of non-essential government employees in several departments. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES