Demonstrators gathered at Monument Terrace outside city hall on Monday to advocate for working-class citizens and protest the actions of the Trump administration. The protest downtown was one of hundreds of “action events” held across the country on Labor Day.
“We wanted to bring attention to the ways in which the working class is being crushed underneath the greed of the billionaires,” said Pat O’Hara, one of the leaders for Indivisible Lynchburg, the organizers behind the Lynchburg protest. “It’s not that we can’t take care of the poor as a country; we just can’t satisfy the greed of the rich.”
The protest concluded a weeklong series of other action events held by Indivisible Lynchburg, which included a silent peace vigil, phone banking, and other community-focused events.
Multiple community leaders spoke at the event, expressing their discontent for corporate greed and encouraging the public to organize as a community to create change.
Amongst the speakers at Monday’s protest was Mike Pruitt, who serves on the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors and is running for Congress in Virginia’s 5th Congressional District. Pruitt spoke about the challenges that his grandfather faced as a working-class citizen in South Carolina and noted that some of the challenges that workers face today have become much more complex.
“We have a higher level of income inequality than we’ve seen in a generation,” Pruitt remarked. “We don’t have a government that’s treating it like the crisis it is.”
Pruitt stated that modern corporations are fixated on finding new ways to reduce the wages of working-class citizens while maximizing profits.
Many protestors expressed anger towards the current administration, which they believe have made it more difficult for working-class citizens to live comfortably.
“I believe that many things today are reflecting what has gone on throughout history,” said Theresa O’Dell. “It’s gone unrecognized and has added up to the climate of today.”
While many of the protesters were retired workers, some local students were also involved in the event, many of whom were volunteers with the organization.
“It’s a big deal that we’re able to see younger people out here because we understand the challenges that people are facing these days, having to work longer hours for multiple jobs,” said O’Hara.
O’Hara said that he began to get involved in more action-oriented events with Indivisible Lynchburg after attending the “No Kings” protest earlier this year, where he became fascinated with the organization’s three core principles: standing up, speaking up, and showing up.
“Power is always found in community,” Pruitt said. “You have to build community if you are going to make a change.”
For more information on future events, contact lynchburgindivisible@gmail.com
