DURHAM, NC – A Durham protest over the minimum wage was still taking Tuesday evening, with hundreds in the Triangle joining in various protests.
Protesters nationwide demanded a $15 per hour minimum wage and union rights.
Those protesting in Durham showed up around 6:15 a.m. at the McDonald’s on Hillsborough Road.
There were other protests planned at McDonald’s locations and several airports across the country.
Organizers said Tuesday that this will be their most disruptive protest yet and by 9:30 p.m. 23 people were taken into custody.
Rev. William Barber II from the North Carolina chapter of the NAACP made an appearance at the Durham protest Tuesday evening.
Barber was later taken into custody and led away in hand-ties at the protest around 7 p.m. after the crowd blocked traffic in Durham.
The first “Fight for $15” protest took place Nov. 29, 2012 when a couple of hundred fast food workers left area restaurants in New York City.
Since then, 22 million workers have won raises.
In Durham Tuesday morning, CBS North Carolina spoke to a daycare worker from High Point. She said the current minimum wage in North Carolina, which is $7.25, is not livable.
“You know the money that we make we need it to cover our home expenses, our gas, our own daycare bills,” Lisa Mack said. “We’re just not making enough money to take care of our families, which is so important.”
The morning protest in Durham ended a little after 7:30. Groups gathered back in Durham at 5 p.m. and by about 6:30 p.m. were marching and blocking traffic.
