Hundreds of protesters showed up at Grand Canyon National Park and Saguaro National Park Saturday as part of a series of nationwide rallies on public lands.

Videos posted to social media showed groups of protesters at some of the state's most iconic viewpoints. John Hockaday, an organizer of the protest at the Grand Canyon, said about 100 people turned out for the rally and were spread out among four protest sites on the South Rim.

Organizers of the protest at Saguaro National Park reported 250 attendees, although videos posted to social media appeared to show a smaller crowd. Dozens of people also turned out at other protest sites across the state.

At least five national parks, monuments and forests in Arizona were expected to see protesters. The list also included Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, Casa Grande Ruins National Monument and Devil's Bridge in the Sedona-Coconino National Forest, according to a protest planner created by Resistance Rangers, a coalition of more than 650 national park and forest workers.

The protests come in response to recent budget cuts at federal agencies, which led to mass layoffs of national park and forest rangers . Roughly 1,000 National Park Service employees and 3,400 Forest Service employees were terminated on Feb. 14. Many of those employees were in probationary periods — the final step in the competitive federal hiring process.

An earlier executive order forced the agency to rescind more than 2,000 seasonal and permanent job offers. President Donald Trump's order, which came during the first hours of his second term in office, directed a hiring freeze on all federal civilian positions.

Hockaday, 33, said both actions had huge impacts in Grand Canyon Village, where he and his partner have lived for three years. His partner is a full-time employee at the park, and Hockaday works as a seasonal park ranger.

"Honestly, we're all on edge," Hockaday said. "We don't know if my partner's job is safe or if she's going to be next. A lot of people she knows have been terminated. It's definitely been a big thing for us."

Others are worried that they may not be able to get hired for seasonal roles that they've held year after year. Sean Adams, 29, of Flagstaff, said he has twice worked as a lead biological technician on the "fish crew" at the Grand Canyon, which works to remove invasive trout and conduct conservation research on native fishes.

"My two seasons here with the fish crew have been highlights of my whole life," Adams said, adding that he hopes to "come back for more."

How do the national cuts affect parks in Arizona?

Arizona was particularly hard hit by the cuts . More than 10 million visitors annually flock to the state's iconic national parks, spending an estimated $1.2 billion and supporting about 17,300 jobs .

Saguaro National Park announced last week that it would close both its visitor centers one day a week "until further notice." The park's statement did not list a reason for the cutback, but commenters speculated the reduction in service was related to the recent mass firings.

Meanwhile, Grand Canyon National Park — the state's oldest and most popular — saw long entrance lines over President's Day weekend, attracting national attention. Gov. Katie Hobbs, a Democrat, said Friday that she would not use state money to ease the wait times .

"I certainly am not interested in bailing out the Trump administration for dumb decisions they make, like cutting off funding and staff for one of the largest tourist attractions in the country," Hobbs said.

Hockaday said he and other protesters spoke with park visitors on Saturday. They were largely met with support, he said.

"I think people who come here realize how special the Grand Canyon is and how important it is to protect this place," he said. "It takes park rangers to make parks run, and we work for the people, not the billionaires."

Arizona Republic reporters John Leos, Stacey Barchenger and Michael Salerno contributed to this article.

This is a developing story. Return to azcentral.com for updates.