World

Activists Erect 'Guillotine' Outside Jeff Bezos' House, Demand Destruction of Amazon

Jeff Bezos, the richest human on Earth, has long been the subject of anger amid accusations of overseeing poor working conditions, low wages, and of busting of organised labour movements.
Sputnik

Activists protesting outside the purported home of Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos in Washington DC, are reportedly demanding the abolition of his corporation, and were spotted standing next to a guillotine.

Videos posted to Twitter on Sunday show two protesters standing next to the erected execution structure - a staple of several revolutionary movements from the 19th century.

“When they become threatened, and we have no voice, the knives come out", one demonstrator said through a loudspeaker.

A poster at the event read: “Support our poor communities not our wealthy men".

​The event was advertised on Twitter from the account on Saturday. The poster accused Amazon of working with police to "surveil" employees, stoking "racist fears" and union-busting.

"Amazon fired and racially slandered labor organizer Chris Smalls. Join us to tell Bezos enough is enough!", the poster said.

​Chris Smalls was let go from the company this year after leading a strike in New York over poor conditions during the coronavirus pandemic.

Amazon has previously been accused of union-busting and treating its workers poorly, including forcing employees to wear trackable wristbands.

Bezos is considered to be the world's wealthiest person, holding a net worth of over $100 billion.

The guillotine was popularised during the French revolution in 1789, in which the Jacobins toppled the French monarchy and sentenced members of the aristocracy and its enemies of the new regime to be decapitated.

Discuss