FARRAGUT, Tenn. (WATE) — On Black Friday, some East Tennesseans, including Army veteran and Harriman native Joe Wheeler, asked Knoxvillians to keep their money in the community.
“We’re seeing the corporate greed take over. You know, America’s almost turning into an oligarchy at this point where the rich are in control and have power,” said Wheeler, “And we don’t want to feed into that. We want to we want to feed small businesses and feed our neighbors.”
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Wheeler, who served in the 82nd Airborne in Afghanistan, cofounded the Southern Resistance Coalition. The organization operates primarily in Anderson County, Morgan County, and Roane County.
Wheeler was one of just five protesters who attended the protest on Friday. A sixth protester went home due to the cold, and organizers say 50 people had signed up online to protest alongside them. While there were only a few in attendance, that didn’t deter organizer Sanaya Cathcart…