Albany residents gather for second round of utilities protests

(ALBANY, GA) – More than a dozen people came together downtown late thursday afternoon to once again protest Albany utilities.

The group behind the protest, known as 9to5, had previously submitted a petition to the city in August, and protested at the beginning of September.

“We want economic justice, we want policy changes when it comes to these high utility bills. And we need to work across the board. We need answers, we don’t need anybody justifying anything. So we want to work with our commissioners,” says protester, Diana Brown

At least one City Commissioner, Ward 6’s Demetrious Young was out there as a sign of solidarity with city officials.

For those who’ve been raising their voices over utility bills the last few months, they can’t keep waiting.

Brown tells us, “They’re signing into these long contracts, and we’re stuck in one where there’s so much utility that we can’t sell it off. We can’t sell it to anyone. There has to be a way to do this at a lower cost.”

As these protests against the high utility rates gets more and more support, it’s coming at a crucial time.

With many families having their kids back in school virtually, protesting high rates could help them out in the long run.

Protestor Nikki Owens says, “This is affecting everybody across the boards. Single parents, elderly, disabled, just all across the boards. So that’s why we’re stepping in and fighting for justice in our community.”