Dozens of protesters gathered at Five Corners in Vineyard Haven Monday afternoon as part of the Workers Over Billionaires nationwide rally. Participants held up signs that read “resist,“ “stand up for democracy,” and “fight back before we have nothing to fight for.”
Dozens of protesters gathered at Five Corners in Vineyard Haven Monday afternoon as part of the Workers Over Billionaires nationwide rally.
Participants held up signs that read “resist,“ “stand up for democracy,” and “fight back before we have nothing to fight for.”
Carla Cooper said the event aimed to highlight the efforts of unions and the plight of country’s working class
“We’re here today in our community, in solidarity with over 1,000 communities across the country, demanding a society where safe public schools take precedence over private profits, where health care and affordable housing are a human right and where we are all entitled to personal freedom and dignity,” Ms. Cooper said to the crowd. “We will continue to lift up the working-class Americans in organized labor who have made this country great.”
Signs said it all.
Signs said it all.
Mitzi Pratt said it was important to continue showing up.
“I think we all have to be standing up and shouting out as much as we can, as often as we can,” she said. “I got activated many decades ago, and I felt like I took a rest for a while, but there’s no resting anymore.”
Eight-year-old Alyce, who was visiting the Vineyard with her family from New York, gave up some beach time to take part in the rally.
“I don’t really want to be out here but we have to, and I know that because I don’t want to grow up and have a horrible life,” she said.
A member of the Alyce’s family, Richard Burstell, said that the right to protest has always existed in this country and should be exercised whenever necessary.
“I think we have an insurrectionist president, don’t we?” he said. “Are we allowed to say that? Is this a free country? Do we have free speech? Protesting is our right, correct? So that’s why we’re out here, because it’s our right to protest.”
According to Marvin Jones, gathering together during difficult times is important
“Every day, somebody’s grabbing more power and taking it from us,” he said. “We have to have the pushback, to give people a chance to honk and give us a thumbs up, to show that it’s not over.”
Vineyard resident Lisa Gross said that protests help ignite action. She hopes that the younger generation, who did not live through historical events such as the Vietnam War, understands the importance of using their voice.
“People are saying ‘protests, don’t do that,’ but that’s how things change,” she said.
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