Oldsmar To Participate In National Save The Post Office Rallies

OLDSMAR, FL — Oldsmar residents will join thousands of people across the country who are staging protests Saturday against recent actions around the United States Postal Service. The rallies come in the wake of controversial changes to service before the presidential election.

The rally in Oldsmar is planned for 11 a.m. Saturday at the Oldsmar Post Office, 3905 Tampa Road.

Those planning to attend are urged to sign up here.

Activists are calling for the removal of Louis DeJoy as postmaster general and an end to what they say is attempted voter suppression.

DeJoy issued a statement earlier this week that he would back off changes he implemented, such as the removal of high-volume letter sorters and blue collection boxes, reportedly to avoid "even the appearance of any impact on election mail."

Organized by MoveOn.org, the NAACP, the Working Families Party and other groups, the national protests have been dubbed #SaveThePostOffice Saturday.

In the interest of public health, all rallies will take place outside. Participants in Oldsmar are asked to wear face coverings, stay 6 feet apart and bring a sign. Those who would prefer to stay in their cars are encouraged to decorate their vehicles with messages of support for the postal service.

The events are being organized by a coalition of groups including Indivisible, the Leadership Conference on Civil & Human Rights, MoveOn, NAACP, RuralOrganizing.org, Service Employees International Union, Vets for the People, and the Working Families Party.

“From the most remote village in the Alaskan tundra to the tiniest island in the Everglades, there’s one connection we’ve always depended on: the mail. Together, we’re coming together to support a beloved system that every American relies on,” said Rahna Epting, executive director of MoveOn. “The mail shapes our lives and our livelihoods. It’s how millions get our medicines, send holiday greetings, and receive the resources we depend on. And, in this pandemic, the mail is how millions of us will deliver our democracy. We reject these attacks on the USPS. We demand full restoration of machines and personnel plus full funding for the post office. We will fight until every vote is counted.”

In a massive push to save the USPS this week, MoveOn Political Action also released a new TV ad and polling, warning senior citizens about Trump’s attacks on the U.S. Postal Service and showing that most voters in battleground states like Florida, Georgia, Iowa and Maine do not approve of Trump’s handling of the U.S. Postal Service.