A grassroots advocacy group, Coalition for Change NEA (CCNEA), plans to stage a peaceful protest on Labor Day in Jonesboro. Organizers want to protect the rights of workers and programs such as Medicaid and other social services, CCNEA volunteer Jayne Schack told Talk Business & Politics.
The protest will be held at the confluence of Caraway Road and Highland drive near the Barnes and Noble bookstore. CCNEA will hold the protest in conjunction with maydaystrong.org, a national organizing group.
CCNEA didn’t have an estimate about how many protesters will show up. The group organized “The No Kings” protest held in June in the city and 450-500 people participated in that event, according to estimates.
“The message is simple: ‘Workers not billionaires. We built this country … not the rich,’” she said.
Rights for many people in this country including those in differing racial, gender, immigrant, LGBTQIA+ and non-citizen communities are being threatened by the federal government, she said, and the group wants to protect the rights of all people.
“We’re moving away from democracy. We’re moving away from equal rights for all people … people are being disenfranchised,” she said.
CCNEA was formed by Terri Green and other advocates following the 2024 election. Many in this country are bitterly divided over many issues, but there are several issues that a solid majority of Americans are in favor of, and that’s one of the main focuses of the CCNEA, she said.
The organization seeks to make changes through advocacy, social and civic action and empowering communities.
Arkansas traditionally has one of the lowest voter turnouts each election cycle, but CCNEA hopes to change that. On Sept. 13, it will host a voter registration training.
Schack said she is deeply concerned about many things that are going on in the country today including the use of the National Guard in cities as a police force, and the detention and deportation of people by ICE.
“We can’t normalize living in a state of Marshall Law … I’m personally committed to living in a democracy. I don’t want to live in an authoritarian society,” she added.