What Happened:
On May 1st protesters with the Sunrise Movement took to Market Square in the center of town to protest in support of workers rights and against the current presidential administration. According to organizers, the turnout was over 200 people, larger than previous protests organized by the group.
May Day Protest:
The protest was just one of many across the country on May 1st as a part of the May Day protests, organized on a large scale by May Day Strong and the 50501 Movement, a nationwide group with the goal of protecting the rights in the Constitution according to their website. “Mayday is the day of the worker. We are protesting for workers rights, and we are protesting the fact that unions, workers’ rights, and immigrant workers’ rights are being threatened by this administration.” said Sunrise Movement Social Media Manager Lilliana Drosnock.
The Sunrise Movement:
The organization behind this specific protest is the Sunrise Movement Bloomsburg, a campus group dedicated to what they believe in fighting to stop climate change and help the everyday American.
The Rest of the Story:
In a time of so much partisan tension and global issues, protests around the nation are on the rise. The protest was scheduled to begin at 5:30pm and started off strong with an energy that lasted throughout. Organizers with bullhorns initiated chants such as “Hey hey ho ho Elon Musk has got to go” and “no kings no tyrants”. Market Square was crowded with protestors giving out signs including a popular sign reading “Honk if you think congress isn’t doing its job”. The honking of supporters driving past was consistent, as was the occasional expletive from those passing who were against the protest. Following a particularly heated debate between two young men in traffic and a Vietnam veteran in the protest, Jami Murdoch offered her opinion on why there is such a political divide today. “They’re being fed this misinformation, this bogus.” Murdoch told the Voice. Murdoch maintained that despite these rare instances of negative reception, the protest was widely accepted by the town and campus alike. The Veteran from the heated debate, declined to give a last name saying “I’m just Kirk, like the captain.” The Voice spoke to Kirk about his reasons for showing up to the protest. “You gotta care.” Kirk stated, “I enlisted to protect the Constitution, and the Constitution says you can be whoever you want to be.” Members of the Sunrise Movement were pleased to see the turnout, and around 7pm Sunrise Movement’s El Adams took to the bullhorn for some closing remarks. Adams spoke about their passion for peace urging protests to try and close the gap between political parties telling them to “always take with you a message of love not the message of hate”.
