Occupy Black Friday

An Occupy movement has started to take down Black Friday!

Over the years, black friday has become intricately associated with Thanksgiving. Many families use it as another chance to get together and do things as a group – mothers and daughters, and whole families get up early on Friday morning and use the day as a chance to socialize, get together, and go shopping for deals…sure, it’s something that’s not appealing to all, but it has become tradition for some. But some protesters are trying to put a stop to the black friday “consumerism” and “greed”.

The Occupy Black Friday protesters  (taking their name from the ones that are trying to take down Wall Street – aka Occupy Wall Street) are starting a movement dubbed “Occupy Black Friday” – their goal according to one Occupy Black Friday Facebook page is to “hit the corporations that corrupt and control American politics where it hurts, their profits”.

One of the points that they make is that the stores that traditionally have opened on Black Friday are now opening way too early (Thanksgiving) and are forcing out the tradition of having Thanksgiving as a day of non-work where people can be with their families.  Employees are being forced away from their families on November 25, all in a war for the almighty dollar by coroporations.  Occupy Black Friday protesters claim to stand behind the workers who are being exploited into working on the traditional Thanksgiving holiday.

Will this protest help stores consider whether or not they are going too far and opening too early?  Will this movement help stores reconsider the importance and meaning that Thanksgiving has to some people?  And will this protest catch on?  Occupy Black Friday protesters hope so.

 

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