On the steps of the Georgia State Capitol on Nov. 1, protesters made their presence known with rhythmic drumming, singing and chanting phrases like “When food stamps are under attack, what do we do? Stand up, fight back!” and “Kemp, where the money at?”
After a month of government shutdown, federal funding for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits across the country paused on Nov. 1, impacting over 1.5 million Georgia residents.
Late last month, two federal judges issued court orders for U.S. President Donald Trump to fund SNAP benefits nationwide via emergency reserves. As of Nov. 4, the Trump administration responded by stating that they will fund only half of the usual $8 billion in SNAP benefits, as they said tapping more funds could hurt other programs.
Before the judges issued their rulings, Gov. Brian Kemp’s (R-Ga.) administration refused to tap Georgia’s $14.6 billion surplus to fund state-wide SNAP benefits, stating that “there is no mechanism by which the state can replace benefits on customer cards.”
In response, approximately 50 protesters gathered at the state capitol at noon for two hours to demand that Kemp advocate for the continued funding of SNAP benefits.
Protesters called on the state and federal governments to allocate emergency funds to SNAP benefits for the millions of Americans who have lost access to them. The protesters also criticized the Trump administration’s massive funding toward initiatives they denounce, such as mass deportation and Israeli military aid.
Atlanta’s branch of the Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL) led the demonstration alongside allied organizations, including the Act Now to Stop War and End Racism coalition and Black Lives Matter Grassroots.
PSL organizer Genny Kennedy said the government is withholding SNAP benefits despite the existence of emergency funding programs.
“The current administration is saying that they just had to cut off SNAP because they don’t have the money, but in fact, that’s false,” Kennedy said. “There’s actually emergency funding explicitly for times like this, and it is a decision to not use it.”
According to Kennedy, both Democrats and Republicans are responsible for the issues behind the current pause of SNAP benefits, and urged the two coalitions to come together to solve this issue.
“[Democrats] should also be applying pressure, instead of actually waiting there like sitting ducks, waiting for people to basically urge them to do something,” Kennedy said.
Demonstrators held up signs that read “1 million hungry, Gov. Kemp has the money!” and “Fund food stamps, not billionaire tax cuts!”, and PSL members held a banner reading “Workers make the world run. Workers should run the world.” behind the demonstration.
Another PSL organizer named Mike said that he relies on SNAP benefits to feed his two children, even though he works over 50 hours a week in construction. Mike said he is not alone in this struggle.
“There are 640,000 children in this state, besides my two little boys, who are at risk of going hungry this month because our elected representatives in this country have simply chosen that for them,” Mike said.
Ngaya Swai, who is also a PSL organizer, said the protest is especially representative of the issues the working class faces under the government shutdown.
“Right now, in this government shutdown, the working-class people are the ones who are suffering, but in a general strike, it would be the pockets of the billionaires,” Swai said. “It would be pockets of the Democrats and Republicans who would be suffering, so it would force them to actually concede on a lot of issues that would actually support the working class.”
At the end of the protest, PSL organizer Elias DuPree encouraged people to organize as the best way to draw attention to the issues discussed in the protest.
“The only way that we’re going to be able to address this ongoing crisis of artificial scarcity is if the working people organize,” DuPree said.
