Thousands of people in more than two dozen cities in the United States yesterday stopped work in protest against racism and economic inequality, which have worsened during the coronavirus pandemic.
Organizers hoped to inspire thousands of people to stop work, but instead there were smaller protests from people in the areas of health, transportation and food service whose work did not allow them to work from home during the quarantine.
The “Strike for Black Lives” was called by unions and social justice organizations. Where it was not possible to stop work the full day, the participants protested during lunch or kept silent moments in memory of black people who have died from police violence, organizers said.
About 1,500 janitors in San Francisco quit their jobs and planned to march to City Hall later in the day, according to Fight for $ 15, a group that supports raising the minimum wage to $ 15 an hour. McDonald’s cooks and ATMs in Los Angeles and nursing home workers in St. Paul were also on strike. Airport and carpool workers also stopped.
In Manhattan, more than 150 unionists marched in front of the Trump International Hotel to demand that the Senate and President Donald Trump adopt the HEROES Act, which provides protective equipment, essential wages and extended unemployment insurance to those unable to work from home. The project has already been approved in the House of Representatives.
In Massachusetts, some 200 people, including health workers, janitors, and other essential employees, participated in an event that was also attended by Democratic candidates for the Senate.
“We are building a country where black lives matter in all aspects of society, including in the workplace,” said Ash-Lee Henderson, an organizer for Movement for Black Lives, a coalition of more than 150 organizations that they make up the Black Lives Matter movement.
The strike is part of a global complaint against racism and police brutality sparked by the death of George Floyd, a black man who died at the hands of Minneapolis police in late May.
Strikers demand radical actions by corporations and the government to confront systemic racism and economic inequality.
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