By Brian Ries From Mashable

More than 100 fast food workers and their supporters were arrested in at least eight cities across the United States on Thursday in a mass act of nonviolent civil disobedience.

The workers, who hail from fast food companies including McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Dunkin’ Donuts, Burger King, Pizza Hut, Jack in the Box, Popeyes and Bojangles, walked off their jobs and took to the streets as part of a nationwide fast food strike held in more than 150 cities.

The Guardian reports:

As of early afternoon, 19 fast-food workers were arrested in New York City, 42 in Detroit, 23 in Chicago, 11 in Little Rock and 10 in Las Vegas. As the lunchtime rush began, workers were staging sit-ins outside McDonald’s restaurants in Miami, Rockford, Ill., Atlanta, Boston, Philadelphia, Flint, Hartford, Richmond, Va., and Charleston.

They are protesting low pay and what they say are unfair working conditions.

Many fast-food workers do not make much more than the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour, adding up to about $15,000 a year for 40 hours a week. The strikers are calling for $15 an hour and the right to form a union without retaliation, according to the organizers’ website.

The movement, which is backed financially by the Service Employees International Union and others, comes at a time when the wage gap between the poor and the rich has become a hot political issue.

Since the protests began in late 2012, organizers have switched up their tactics every few months to bring attention to the protests, which have attracted spotty crowds. Organizers previously said they planned to engage in nonviolent civil disobedience on Thursday, which might lead to arrests. In the past, supporters have done things like show up at a McDonald’s shareholder meeting and hold overseas protests.

The industry’s trade body, The National Restaurant Association, has blasted the strikes as a multi-million dollar PR stunt supported by what it says are paid demonstrators.

“The activities have proven to be orchestrated union PR events where the vast majority of participants are activists and paid demonstrators. This is nothing more than labor groups’ self-interested attempts to boost their dwindling membership by targeting restaurant employees,” the NRA said.

President Barack Obama has taken notice too. He mentioned the campaign at a Labor Day appearance in Milwaukee. “If I were busting my butt in the service industry and wanted an honest day’s pay for an honest day’s work, I’d join a union,” Obama said, as he pushed Congress to raise the minimum wage.

Detroit

Up to 40 strikers were arrested in Detroit  after they were told to “get up” from the road.

IMAGES:

Police officers arrest a protester in front of a McDonald’s restaurant in New York’s Times Square, Thursday, Sept. 4, 2014.IMAGE: MARK LENNIHAN/ASSOCIATED PRESS

Detroit police officers. Close to 40 arrests made.

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