AFSCME’s Saunders Criticizes Wall Street at New York March for Justice

AFSCME President Saunders Criticizes Wall Street at NYC March

In a powerful demonstration in New York City, AFSCME President Lee Saunders took a strong stance against Wall Street, accusing bankers and CEOs of supporting the Trump administration's actions against workers. This event, held to honor the 62^nd anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s March on Washington, aimed to reignite the fight for economic justice.

The National Action Network (NAN), a prominent civil rights group, organized this March on Wall Street, which took place on a Thursday. The march was a direct response to the administration's efforts to dismantle diversity, equity, and inclusion policies, as well as the controversial police control of Washington, D.C. For more details, visit the New York Times.

Leading the march was the Rev. Al Sharpton, NAN's founder, who was joined by an array of civil rights leaders, labor advocates, and workers. Among them were Martin Luther King III and New York state Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani, a Democratic mayoral candidate for New York City.

Saunders voiced his displeasure at Wall Street's backing of the administration's tax cuts for the wealthy, encapsulated in the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act," which narrowly passed in July. He stated, “The same bankers and CEOs getting new tax cuts have cheered as anti-worker politicians slash Medicaid, food assistance, and other lifelines that millions of people — especially in communities of color — depend on to survive.”

Despite the criticisms, Saunders echoed Dr. King's optimism, quoting the civil rights leader's speech from the 1963 March on Washington: “We refuse to believe the bank of justice is bankrupt.” He urged for a united movement that ties civil rights to labor rights, emphasizing the need to counter Wall Street's dominance over policy-making and to empower working families.