Protesters march through the Pentacrest on the University of Iowa campus on their way to the Iowa Avenue railroad bridge during a rally urging job creation and tax reform for large corporations on Friday, Oct. 7, 2011, in Iowa City. The bridge was cited as an example of a needed infrastructure upgrade that would also create jobs. (Liz Martin/SourceMedia Group News)
The melody of the 1978 Village People hit “Y.M.C.A.” rang out in Iowa City at 9:00 a.m. Friday morning as protesters sang their rewritten lyrics expressing frustrations about the American job market.
“Congress, you must act like a team, because so far we don’t like what we’ve seen,” they chanted in unison. “You are killing the American Dream — get to work and help us.”
Sponsored by the Iowa City Federation of Labor, Iowa Citizen Action Network, community groups and Communications Workers of America District 7, approximately 50 individuals participated in the hour-long protest.
“There needs to be a light shined on job issues and put pressure on Congress to pass the Job Bill and help support American families,” Alaric Poseley-Hatton, 32, of Minneapolis said.
Throughout the event speakers took their turns at the microphone to share their personal experiences and encourage all individuals to call their state Representatives and demand more support for job creation and tax reform for large corporations.
“I’m out here because Americans are out of work,” said Jim Jacobson, 47, chief of staff of SEIU Local 199. “The middle and working class are disappearing because most people are living paycheck to paycheck — it’s not right.”
Approximately 10-15 individuals from this morning’s rally are going to participate in a local extension of the “Occupy Wall Street” protest beginning at Iowa City’s College Green Park this evening.
