Wooden stakes pointed at the top driven into the ground to form a fence; also refers to strikers or protesters stationed at a location to support a labor strike or cause.
From French 'piquet' (a pointed stake), ultimately from a Germanic root. The term has been used for fence stakes since the 1600s, and acquired its labor protest meaning in the 1800s.
Picket lines are protest's most enduring visual symbol—the image of workers walking in a circle with signs is instantly recognizable worldwide. During major strikes like the 1946 coal miners' strike, picket lines literally blocked entry, making them physically powerful statements about labor rights.
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