Hoisting one of many protest signs that festooned a march tonight across the Howard Street Bridge, Yahnae Barner said she braved the chilly wind because “regular people are without jobs, yet we have that 1% that live the high life.”

A peaceful crowd of about 200 walked along the east-side sidewalk of the Howard Street Bridge to dramatize the connection between the poor state of repairs of America’s infrastructure and unemployment.

“American Infrastructure received a ‘D’ grade from the American Society of Civil Engineers, yet 25 million people are still unable to find full-time work, and the gap between the 1% and the 99% continues to grow,” a release by the protesters said.

The Howard Street Bridge was picked not because it was in poor repair, the organizers acknowledged, but because it was well-known in the city.

The marchers did not interfere with rush-hour traffic. A contingent of Baltimore police remained on North Avenue, while volunteer monitors directed the crowd across the bridge.

The demonstration was part of a “National Day of Action” declared by the Occupy Wall Street movement, with protests held in about 15 U.S. cities. The local march focused on what it called the “economic emergency for the 99%” suffering from “job-killing budget cuts and tax giveaways for the rich” by Congress.

In addition to Occupy Baltimore, sponsors included Locals 1199 and 32BJ of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Good Jobs Better Baltimore, MoveOn and Transform Baltimore.

Disgusted by Bank Bailouts

Before the march, many speakers deplored the shortage of jobs and some endorsed President Barack Obama’s $447-billion American Jobs Act, which organizers said would provide more than $900 million in federal aid to Maryland to rebuild schools, highways and transit.

“It’s extremely difficult to inspire young people and to convey their importance in the world when you’re doing it in a building that looks like a prison,” Terrell Williams told the crowd.

The special educator at Holabird Academy in O’Donnell Heights recited instances of sinks falling from the walls, sewer system backups and mold  on the walls that teachers try to mask with disinfectants and deodorizers.

Jeffrey King, an unemployed construction worker, said he was disgusted that Congress gives bailouts to banks and corporations, but does nothing to address the concerns of regular Americans.

He added bluntly, “I desperately need work.”

Once underway, the marchers spread across the length of the bridge. Some held candles. A few carried American flags. There were banners and signs with messages like “Bridges need work, and so do we,” “Save the American Dream” and “Politicians paid off by the 1% have failed us.”

David McClure, president of Local 1300 of the Amalgamated Transit Union, said he was marching because “the middle class is being crushed.” He singled out the proposed Red Line project in Baltimore as an example where most of the anticipated jobs will be rewarded to non-city residents.

“The community is not receiving the benefits. I find it difficult to understand why the city politicians are not trying to get more work for the people here,” he said.

167 Bridges Called Deficient

Lisa Lucas-Alston, an organizer for Good Jobs Better Baltimore, said that the Baltimore metropolitan area had 167 bridges classified as deficient in a report by Transportation for America. More than 1 million people cross these bridges every day, she said.

The American Jobs Act would create about 12,200 construction jobs in Maryland, including about 1,400 jobs in Baltimore, according to material released by the group.

Congress has approved only one part of the bill giving a tax break to businesses that hire veterans. Otherwise, Republicans have blocked the legislation and instead proposed cuts to reduce the federal deficit.