Hundreds of people joined the Rev. Al Sharpton in marching on Wall Street on Aug. 28, decrying Trump administration policies, demanding economic justice and rallying for the cause of diversity and inclusion.
Sharpton accused Wall Street of benefiting from government tax cuts at the expense of Medicaid, food assistance and other federal programs that provide a safety net for the needy. He urged corporate America to resist the Trump administration’s campaign to roll back diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
The important role businesses can play is why “we’re coming to Wall Street instead of Washington this year,” Sharpton told the crowd.
Sharpton timed the rally to the anniversary of the 1963 Civil Rights-era March on Washington. The march began at the African Burial Ground and ended in the financial district to “remind Donald Trump the power of Black Americans and their dollars.”
“Corporate elites are running America, and we want to try and do something about that,” said Jackie Barham, a marcher from Brooklyn. “One of my main concerns is corporate greed right now and how we have so many people that are making so much money, and their interest in the government.”
Trump on the ‘go woke, go broke’ crowd: Did Cracker Barrel listen?
Protesters chanted, “No justice, no peace.” Some held signs that read “Billionaires back off,” and “We want economic justice.”
Sharpton’s National Action Network issued a statement saying if Americans don’t speak up, they “will completely erase the freedoms our parents and our grandparents fought, bled, and died for.”
Trump’s recent decision to send National Guard troops and federal officers into Washington adds to the urgency, the group said.
“The importance of this demonstration has only grown as the federal government threatens more takeovers of Black-led cities after the unprecedented National Guard deployment in Washington, D.C.,” the statement said.
Contributing: Reuters
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Sharpton leads march against Trump policies and for DEI
