Imane Parker, a postal worker, joins protesters in Silver Spring, Md., on Saturday. (Robb Hill for The Washington Post)

It was midway through her Saturday morning shift as Imane Parker, a clerk at the post office, stepped outside to find a line of protesters chanting and waving signs decorated like envelopes.

“Wow,” she said, visibly overcome for a moment. “This is so amazing.”

Parker had started the morning worn down after weeks of worrying about her customers experiencing delays in their mail deliveries. But now, she said, she felt glimmers of hope.