Austin Protest To Call For Unemployment Benefits Extension

AUSTIN, TX — Protesters calling for an extension of unemployment benefits amid spread of the coronavirus have scheduled a demonstration outside the state Capitol this week.

The protest scheduled on Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. is designed to encourage lawmakers to extend Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation, an extra $600 weekly payment set to expire for workers on July 31. In light of the pandemic, organizers wrote in an email that participants will be required to wear protective face coverings while practicing physical distancing to mitigate potential spread of the respiratory illness.

Scheduled to speak at the event is Julie Oliver, who is running to represent Austin and Central Texas in the state's 25th congressional district, according to an advisory.

Passed by Congress in March, the CARES Act extended unemployment insurance to previously ineligible people, including self-employed business operators, independent contractors, and people with caregiving responsibilities impacted by COVID-related closures. The CARES Act also added a $600 weekly supplemental benefit now set to expire July 31.

In a news release alerting to the event, organizers referenced a study by economists showing that extending benefits for another year would generate more than $33.5 million in income to Texas residents while saving 364,476 jobs. Failure to extend unemployment insurance benefits "...would widen our state’s racial wealth gap: Black and brown workers are more likely than white workers to face unemployment and have fewer savings,"organizers wrote.

During the protest, organizers said unemployed workers will share their experiences accessing the unemployment system. Jobless people who are excluded from, denied, or still waiting for unemployment benefits will share the sacrifices and strategies they have used to survive without income, organizers added. Moreover, organizers noted, unemployed workers who are relying on the $600 weekly supplement will describe how the additional funds impacted their lives and what a future without this additional money during a pandemic may look like.

WHAT: Economic Justice Protest

WHEN: 9:30 a.m. CST, July 17

WHERE: Texas State Capitol, 1100 Congress Ave, Austin, TX 78701

Organizers of the upcoming protest are part of the Facebook group called Unemployed Action. Here is the link to our post on Facebook for the protest. Those wishing to participate are asked to RSVP Blake London by emailing lonestarwandereratx@gmail.com