Tens of thousands of protesters gathered across the country on Wednesday to speak out against low wages.
The demonstrations are led by the group Fight for $15, which seeks a minimum hourly wage of $15 for fast-food employees. Though McDonald's raised hourly wages to $9.90 for a fraction of its workforce earlier this month, workers say this is hardly enough and are demanding a basic living wage.
The movement has also grown to include protests for higher pay for adjunct professors, airport workers and employees at large retailers. Marches began Tuesday in Boston and Detroit, and soon expanded to more than 200 cities and college campuses on Wednesday.
Fast-food protests in over 100 cities last September resulted in dozens of arrests. This time, however, organizers are not looking to get arrested in order to make a statement.
"It's something different," says Kendall Fells, organizing director of Fight for $15, told USA Today. "This is much more of an economic and racial justice movement than the fast-food workers strikes of the past two years."
The Fight for $15 campaign first began in 2012 and is funded by the Service Employees International Union.
Protester rally outside a Burger King restaurant in College Park, Georgia, on Wednesday morning.
Protesters lead a demonstration in Miami Gardens, Florida.
Striking workers outside Madison Burger King to #FightFor15 @WiscJobsNow pic.twitter.com/7pM1AwGST6
— Will Kramer (@wnkramer) April 15, 2015
Taking over an intersection in NYC right now! #FightFor15 pic.twitter.com/tlqk13Wxd2
— Fast Food Forward (@FastFoodForward) April 15, 2015
Photos of Boston #FightFor15 march. http://t.co/D5KcP05mle @WageAction pic.twitter.com/uTUESwJu7z
— BNN News (@news_bnn) April 15, 2015
#FightFor15 protest inside @McDonalds in San Francisco @Demotix http://t.co/0ZB5vooOXL #RaiseTheWage #FastFoodGlobal #sfbos #McDonalds
— Steve Rhodes (@tigerbeat) April 15, 2015
#Miami fast-food workers strike today to demand $15 per hour wages. http://t.co/0NKQqx79Af #FightFor15 pic.twitter.com/P1KyiUjdsU
— Miami New Times (@MiamiNewTimes) April 15, 2015
BREAKING: Southside Chicago McDonalds CLOSED because of workers ON STRIKE! #FightFor15 pic.twitter.com/g1PpxoVRWB
— Fight For 15 Chicago (@chifightfor15) April 15, 2015
The movement has also gained international support, with workers leading protests in Auckland, New Zealand, and Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Fastfoodworkers' strike in Amsterdam. @YoungUnitedNL #halfloon #FNV #FightFor15 #FastFoodGlobal pic.twitter.com/PbbAY0sG7m
— Ron Meyer (@MeyerRon) April 15, 2015
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