While inside the restaurant, the protesters paused for a few minutes to raise their hands and have a moment of silence for Michael Brown, the 18-year-old man fatally shot by police on Aug. 9 in Ferguson. Brown’s death sparked protests here and nationwide.

After break, the protesters reconvened at Kiener Plaza in downtown, where they marched to the other side of the Old Courthouse on Fourth Street.

“We all struggling because they want to pay us $7.50 and you can’t raise nobody on $7.50,” said Ronald Smith, who said he makes $8 an hour at a gas station. “You got people working at $7.75 and your business is a $2 billion, $3 billion business. Come on!”

The union-backed actions are part of an effort launched in 2012 to raise the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour from $7.25, where it has held since 2009.

St. Louis organizers, who said they were affiliated with Show-Me 15, the Missouri offshoot of the Fight for $15, would not comment. Organizers with the Service Employees International Union and the United Food and Commercial Workers were present at the march.

Tommy Lynch, a custodian in the Ritenour School District and SEIU member, said he came out to show support for marchers. He used to work in fast food and has family that still does.