More than 500 protesters gather in Kennewick for “Workers Over Billionaires” protest

By Caleb Stipkovits

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    KENNEWICK, Wash. (KAPP) — More than 500 people gathered along a busy stretch of road near the Columbia Center Mall on Labor Day to protest the growing wealth gap between billionaires and workers as part of a nationwide demonstration.

The “Workers Over Billionaires” protest drew demonstrators who lined the boulevard for several hours, holding signs and waving to passing motorists. The event was part of coordinated protests across the country over Labor Day weekend.

Organizers said they chose to demonstrate against billionaires getting richer while many workers’ wages have remained stagnant. The protest also aimed to spotlight the importance that unions have for workers.

“I think it’s very important that we hang on to the freedoms that we’ve gained and that we are compensated for our labor, which is what’s making these billionaires all this money anyway,” said Sandra Vantine, a protester.

The demonstration lasted for several hours, with protesters receiving mixed reactions from passing drivers. Many motorists honked their horns in support, while others expressed opposition to the message.

Loren Malone, founder of Indivisible Tri-Cities, said the response was overwhelmingly positive from drivers.

“Overwhelming majority [has been] positive, lots of honks, people coming by, waving… [it] well outnumbers the negatives. And do we get occasional negatives? Of course. But in general, it’s been very, very positive,” Malone said.

Malone explained that the goal of the protest was to raise awareness that wage increases for most workers have not equaled wage increases for higher-ups, including CEOs and executives. The demonstration sought to highlight this disparity in compensation between corporate leadership and rank-and-file employees.

For some participants, the protest served multiple purposes beyond economic messaging. Lynette Shiroma, another protester, said she had two main takeaways from the demonstration.

“Mostly [to] raise awareness. And then to also really recenter, a lot of people think it’s political, and it’s really about rights of citizens that are being trampled,” Shiroma said.

The timing of the protest was deliberate, according to organizers. They said Labor Day provided the perfect opportunity to get their message across on a holiday specifically designed to recognize the contributions of American workers.

The Kennewick demonstration was part of a broader movement, with thousands of people participating in similar “Workers Over Billionaires” protests across the country this Labor Day.

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