“We are fully aware that calling for a Boycott of the Magnificent Mile on the day after Thanksgiving is a bold move,” the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression said in a statement. “It is bold because, in calling for and executing this Boycott Black Friday movement, we are confronting the corporate bosses of Chicago, and this nation, who have their hands on all the levers of power.”
The demonstration was much smaller than last year’s, when thousands of people participated in the protest. The 2015 protest led to the entrances of stores such as Apple, Ralph Lauren, Banana Republic, Neiman Marcus, Tiffany’s, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Disney being blocked. The protest reportedly caused the retailers to do 25- to 50-percent less in sales than projected.
— Bilgin ŞAŞMAZ (@BilginSasmaz) November 25, 2016
“We were down a lot,” Sarah Midoun, a sales associate at Aldo Shoes, told Western Journalism. “We were budgeted to make $37,000 but we only did $19,000. Customers told us they were concerned.”
— FOX Business (@FoxBusiness) November 25, 2016
Last year’s protest was focused on the police killing of Laquan McDonald, a name which was also at the forefront of this year’s protest.
“We have called for a Boycott of the Magnificent Mile on Black Friday, because if we can have no justice then the corporate power brokers, and corrupt politicians, will no longer be allowed to profit from our misery and oppression," according to the statement.
The protest last year shut down much of the area, but the situation was far less disruptive this year. Protesters reportedly spanned less than a city block, though police lined the area surrounding them.
The crowd chanted "Hey, hey, ho, ho, Rahm Emanuel has got to go," and, “We don't care, Shut it down," as well as, "No justice, no peace.” They also held signs stating Black Lives Matter.
— Chris Riha (@TalentedMrRiha) November 25, 2016
Several protesters were arrested, one for pushing a person into a wall.
