Susan Sarandon Arrested Protesting for ‘Fair Wages’

Actress/activist Susan Sarandon was one of eight individuals arrested by New York state police during a protest for a higher minimum wage in Albany on Monday.

Sarandon was arrested for disorderly conduct after taking part in a protest for the organization One Fair Wage of which Sarandon is the president. According to police reports, the organization members sat and blocked walking traffic in the lobby of the New York State Capitol for several minutes before security finally arrested the protesters.

“They were instructed multiple times to move to a safer location, but eight of the group’s members refused and requested to be arrested. Those eight individuals were arrested, each for one count of Disorderly Conduct which is a violation-level offense. All have been processed and released with appearance tickets returnable to the Albany City Court on a later date. The names will not be released due to the level of offense,” a police statement read.

According to the organization’s website, the One Fair Wage coalition includes “nearly 300,000 service workers, over 2,000 restaurant employers, and dozens of organizations nationwide” and works to eliminate “wage replacement” through tipping.

“The One Fair Wage coalition includes all workers for whom tips are considered wage replacement – including restaurant workers, nail salon technicians, car wash workers, tech platform delivery workers and drivers, hairdressers, massage therapists, and many more – as well as other subminimum wage workers, including disabled, incarcerated and youth workers. One Fair Wage conducts policy advocacy, voter engagement, worker and employer organizing, and culture shift activities to ultimately lift millions of tipped workers out of poverty nationwide and engage them in the political process that governs their lives,” their website states.

During the protest, Sarandon was heard saying, “They are very, very important and need to be treated with dignity, not only for the back-breaking labor that they do, but what they have to do to communicate and understand and be patient and all the things that are linked to a successful business.”