Well over 100 people showed up for this spirited noontime protest at a Dania Beach Burger King restaurant, the launch of a long series of protests in the Miami area as the Campaign for Fair Food ramps up for the big November action at BK’s annual shareholder meeting. The Dania Beach action was organized in large part by two stalwart leaders of the Campaign for Fair Food on Florida’s east coast, the local Catholic Just Faith network and South Florida Peace and Justice Network.

If it’s a BK protest, the King is going to be there, or at least his evil papier mache twin…

And if it’s a BK protest in the Miami area, our friends from SEIU are sure to be there, too, as well as other long-time labor allies from UNITE HERE.

The action began with a lively march…

… that reached the restaurant and shifted into a picket line that would hold its ground for the better part of the next two hours.

While the noontime sun and a heat index that must have topped 100 degrees threatened to drain the protesters’ spirits, the water crew kept us hydrated and happy.

Also working hard to keep spirits high were the “Raging Grannies,” who performed several a cappella tunes with a labor twist…

And they were by no means the only grandparents in the house… This war veteran braving the heat was one of a strong contingent of older allies that swelled our numbers.

But as is always the case at a CIW protest, youth was served, as the Student/Farmworker Alliance helped get our message out…

… As did the local media, with strong coverage of the event, giving farmworkers from Immokalee an opportunity to speak directly to consumers… and giving consumers an opportunity to think about the exploitation behind the food they eat.

Read the South Florida Sun Sentinel story from the protest, “Immokalee farmworker activists take on Burger King,” here.

And, clearly, some have given it quite a bit of thought already.

After nearly two hours, it was time to wrap up…

And head to the nearby St. Maurice Catholic Church for a reception (launch site, not coincidentally, of the historic “Root Cause” march several years ago)…

… where the CIW and the allies gathered — representing more than a dozen local organizations — to discuss plans for the months ahead.

Next up: Friday, August 31, an action at BK’s headquarters that is sure to be lively! Check back in the days ahead for details.