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Did you see us?

On May 1st, over 200 of us lined both sides of Prince Avenue by Piedmont Hospital during rush hour, raising our signs, chanting, and singing in support of workers everywhere on International Workers Day.

You may have missed us, but many of our fellow Athenians did not. They streamed by for nearly two hours, honking and waving in support.

What did we accomplish? Certainly we signaled our support for better pay and better working conditions for over 164 million of our fellow Americans. In the richest country in the world, the Republicans refuse to raise federal minimum wage above the staggeringly low $7.25, also maintained by Georgia—that’s $14,500 a year, 25 percentbelow Georgia’s single person poverty line. This is an insult to us all.

The enthusiasm of the passing drivers was even exceeded by those of us along the street.

Protests and rallies, needed now more than ever to bring serious attention to increasing injustice and deteriorating real-world conditions, need not be deadly serious in their execution. For two hours, we were an enthusiastic, lively crowd. We ranged in age from teenagers to nonagenarians. Together, we demonstrated the power of community.

There will be many more rallies and protests, with more chances for everyone to participate. Protests are serious, but they are an opportunity for us to show we are an engagedcitizenry, ready to stake our claim on our future while having fun doing it. Join us, you will find community and fulfillment!

Rick Burt

Co-leader, IndivisibleGA10

Athens