FREEPORT – The Rev. Jesse Jackson says he joined workers at a northern Illinois plant that’s slated to close because their fight to save their jobs is “the essence of the American struggle.”

Jackson was taken into custody Wednesday with about a dozen other protesters who marched onto the property at Sensata Technologies. The company is in the process of moving its Freeport manufacturing operations to China, at a cost of 170 jobs from the Illinois plant.

The protesters were cited for violating Freeport’s trespassing ordinance and released. Jackson said the protests will continue next week.