Fast Food Workers Kick-Off Massive Protests Around the World

Fast food workers around the globe are protesting once again today for high wages. In March, news broke that employees at chains in over 200 cities will walk off the job on April 15 to demand a $15 per hour wage and the right to unionize. According to the Associated Press, demonstrations got an early start: On Tuesday afternoon, several hundred people gathered in Boston for a rally. And in Detroit, protesters assembled within a McDonald's in the evening, which organizers say inspired three employees to walk off the job and join the cause.

USA Today notes that protestors in New York City started outside of a local McDonalds at 6 a.m. this morning, blocking "traffic near the main artery to the Brooklyn Bridge." There protestors listened to speeches and "unfurled a giant banner demanding $15 an hour." More demonstrations are planned for today in cities like Los Angeles, Kansas City, Raleigh, Miami, Chicago, and more.

Kendall Fells, an organizing director for Fight of $15, tells the AP that "McDonald's remains the focus of the protests and the company's recently announced pay bump shows fast-food workers already have a de facto union." He adds, "It shows that the workers are winning." Earlier this month, McDonald's announced that it would give a small percentage of its workers — only those who work at company-owned stores — a $1 per hour raise. Protestors are hoping to convince the chain to give all employees a pay bump.

While McDonald's currently fights charges that it fired or punished employees who have participated in previous protests, the chain tells the AP that the company respects the right of employees to "peacefully protest," but that stores would remain open today. McDonald's does not appear too concerned about the protests: In the past the chain has claimed that only 10 to 15 of its employees out of the nearly 800,000 it employes have participated. Today's protests come just days after a new study revealed that 52 percent of all fast food workers are dependent upon public assistance programs to make ends meet. Check out images from the protests below:

"Get up! Get down!! #Chicago is a union town!!" @McDonalds #FightFor15 pic.twitter.com/0WDTi1wZ2i @cbronsing

— Anna Lappé (@annalappe) April 15, 2015

#Miami fast-food workers strike today to demand $15 per hour wages. http://t.co/0NKQqx79Af #FightFor15 pic.twitter.com/P1KyiUjdsU

— Miami New Times (@MiamiNewTimes) April 15, 2015

Chanting: "Hold the burgers!" "Hold the fries!" "Make our wages supersize!" #FightFor15 pic.twitter.com/6W6ifash94

— Mary Kay Henry (@MaryKayHenry) April 15, 2015

Kuopio in Finland #vakiduuni support #FightFor15 pic.twitter.com/8KbT3LZGZQ

— Mika Kolehmainen (@MikaKolehmainen) April 15, 2015

Happening now: #FightFor15 Albany inside @McDonalds on Central Ave @FastFoodForward @fightfor15 pic.twitter.com/BGvRuqCCYL

— Citizen Action of NY (@citizenactionny) April 15, 2015

I want to applaud the workers who are organizing today int he fight to raise the minimum wage. #FightFor15 pic.twitter.com/8ngJ8WOarN

— Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) April 15, 2015