DTLA protesters demand action to address rising cost of living in California

LOS ANGELES – More than a hundred demonstrators marched through downtown Los Angeles on Saturday to protest the cost of living in California.

“It’s way too high for our people to pull out,” Miracle McKinney said. “We should have wages that are fair enough to live in the city where we work.”

According to a recent US news report, the cost of living in California is 30 percent higher than the national average. While Los Angeles was ranked as the second most expensive city in the United States.

“Companies are price gouging,” McKinney said. “[They’re] Raise rents without actually increasing wages.

Protesters on Saturday held signs that read, “Raise wages, lower rent.”

“We can’t afford to go out and vacation,” Liliana Hernandez said. “We have to pay the rent and the bills first and think about what we’re going to eat for the week.”

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Hernandez works as a housekeeper in Santa Monica. She’s a single mom who says she’s just trying to stay ahead of her bills.

“I am lucky to have a rental apartment, but my colleagues have to travel [from] Palmdale and Bakersfield,” Hernandez said.

Protesters played music as they marched through downtown Los Angeles on Saturday. Her message caught the attention of people passing by.

“Wages aren’t going up, it’s tough out there,” said Tajai Mcgehe as he walked past the protest. “Lower rent, you can’t be angry about that. That makes me want to get involved.”

Protesters hope their message will lead to change.

“We’re sending a message to the corporations and landlords,” Hernandez said. “We need rising salaries and falling rents.”