About 30 cars took part in a drive-by protest on Saturday morning that was aimed at San Marino’s John Barger, who is a member of the United States Postal Service’s board of governors.
Demonstrators in about 30 cars emblazoned with signs demanding that the federal government continue to support the United States Postal Service engaged in a drive-by protest Saturday morning at the San Marino home of John Barger, a member of the agency’s board of governors.
The caravan assembled at 9:30 a.m. in a parking lot at the corner of San Marino Avenue and Huntington Drive and made several passes of Barger’s home. A statement from Carolina Briones, who organized the event and was in attendance Saturday, said the effort protested “federal efforts to reduce postal services and threaten the people’s constitutional right to free and fair elections.”
“The postal service is a pillar of our democracy,” Briones continued. “People also depend on it for basic necessities, including getting life-saving medication during this pandemic. Today we demanded that those in power do their jobs, which means protecting and investing in the postal service, not undercutting it.”
Demonstrators drive past a camera crew from NBC4 News.
Some have accused the Trump administration of undermining the USPS in advance of the November election to limit voter access. In May, Trump encouraged the appointment of Louis DeJoy as the 75th U.S. postmaster general and its new CEO. Since his tenure began, the USPS has cut overtime pay for its workers, cut operating hours in several states and removed mailboxes.
“No one can be allowed to take away our rights and access to the postal service, or our rights to free and fair elections,” said Los Angeles resident Beth Baker. “We are making sure everyone knows that we are going to stand up and tell the truth when these rights are attacked.”
Barger said the organization is more than prepared to handle the demands of the election.
“The United States Postal Service is ready to handle the election and people certainly have a right to demonstrate,” Barger said by telephone on Tuesday morning. “As they do, they will seek to find better facts and understand that their concerns have already been addressed.”
Barger said that the USPS annually delivers approximately 4 million pieces of mail on the day before Christmas. Barger has been a member of the board of governors for two years.
“Being in the public eye goes with public service,” the San Marino native said of the demonstration. “Public service is a blessing and we are grateful to be in a capacity to serve.”
