Acton Senator Among 36 'Fight for $15' Protesters Arrested in Cambridge

ACTON, MA — Sen. Jamie Eldridge, a Democrat from Acton, was among three dozen demonstrators arrested on Tuesday in Cambridge, participants in one of three planned minimum wage protests in Massachusetts as part of a national "Fight for $15 Day of Action."

According to the Cambridge Police Department, 36 were arrested for blocking traffic on Mass Avenue.

"Most have been processed and conveyed to Cambridge District Court in Medford," a police spokesman told Patch.

In a statement, Eldridge wrote that he was arrested for civil disobedience while participating in the protest.

"I was arrested this morning in Cambridge for civil disobedience when I took to the streets alongside fast food and airport workers who are asking for a $15 minimum wage," wrote Eldridge on his blog. "I’m very proud of the brave workers for having the courage to stand up to billionaire corporations and to fight for what they deserve."

The demonstration's organizers coordinated with police beforehand, and no issues were reported, the spokesman said. Among those arrested outside the Central Square McDonald's was Eldridge, The Boston Globe reports.

Eldridge represents the Middlesex and Worcester District, which consists of Marlborough, Acton, Ayer, Boxborough, Hudson, Littleton, Maynard, Shirley, Stow and Sudbury-precincts 2 and 3, Harvard, Northborough-precinct 3, Southborough and Westborough.

The Central Square demonstrators were part of a national "day of action" pushing for higher wages in service and other industries.

The demonstrations are under the umbrella of Raise Up Massachusetts, a group fighting for a $15 minimum wage in the Bay State by 2018.

The Central Square demonstration was one of three events planned in and around Boston Tuesday. According to Raise Up, the day culminates with a legislative announcement at the Massachusetts State House this afternoon.

Already, Massachusetts' minimum wage tracks ahead of the national average and is set to rise in January to $11 an hour as part of previously passed legislation. Currently, it is $10 per hour, while the federal minimum is $7.25.

Organizers with Raise Up argue the operative question is whether workers can make ends meet at that pay, calling what they seek not a "minimum" but a "living" wage.

In a mission statement shared on its site, Raise Up organizers argue, "Our state’s economy works best for everyone when all working people are able to meet their basic needs. This economic security depends on access to good paying jobs."

Alison Bauter and Charlene Arsenault, Patch staff, contributed to this report

Photo by State Rep.-elect Mike Connolly via Twitter