Wal-Mart Black Friday protests statewide in Arizona (video)


Huelga209-sm72by Pamela Powers Hannley

Wal-Mart workers, unionists, and supporters protested Wal-Mart's unfair labor practices and low wages in Arizona and across the country on Black Friday, Nov. 23, 2012. In dueling press releases on Saturday, representatives from the United Food and Commercial Workers reported 1000 protests nationwide at Wal-Mart stores, while the retail giant said they had the largest Black Friday ever and that the protests didn't hurt their business.

In Tempe, protesters nearly blocked the flow of traffic in and out of a Wal-Mart parking lot. Representatives from the Unitarian Universalist Church– dressed in their Standing on the Side of Love t-shirts– tried to peacefully deliver a letter a letter to the store manager but were quickly stopped by Wal-Mart security, who called in police. (Interestingly, when I was shooting my video on Black Friday in Tucson, store security hopped out of an unmarked beater car in the lot and stopped me from filming by threatening to call the police.)

After the jump, watch Phoenix videographer Dennis Gilman's video of protests in Maricpoa County. Tucson video is here.