Tuesday’s demonstration will be followed Wednesday morning by a rally and protest outside the McDonald’s shareholder meeting in Oak Brook, Illinois. Solidarity events are also taking place across the country on Wednesday. 

Earlier Tuesday, fast food workers and community members gathered in Chicago’s West Loop neighborhood for a mock groundbreaking ceremony at the future site of McDonald’s new headquarters. Sharing their vision for what a “new” McDonald’s would look like, they staked signs into the ground that read, “Pays $15,” “Says No to Sexual Harassment,” and “Pays Its Taxes.”

“We need a McDonald’s that pays us a living wage,” said Ashley Bruce, a Fight for $15 leader and McDonald’s worker of 4 years. “We need $15 an hour to sustain our families. We can’t keep trying to make ends meet like this. This is not working for us. We deserve to live. We’re barely making it on $10.50 an hour.”

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