Fifty-four Walmart workers were arrested Thursday night in what organizers are calling the biggest act of civil disobedience by Walmart employees of all time, following a year of repeated strikes against unfair wages, poor working conditions and ongoing corporate retaliation against those who are speaking out against the retail giant.
“Surrounded by about 100 police officers in riot gear and a helicopter circling above, more than 50 Walmart workers and supporters were arrested in downtown Los Angeles Thursday night,” the Huffington Post reports.
About 500 Walmart workers and supporters had gathered to protest outside LA’s Chinatown Walmart before sitting down in the middle of the busy street in front of the store.
The action came on the second day of a two-day strike at stores throughout the Los Angeles area, calling for better working conditions and an end to the corporation’s illegal retaliation against striking workers.
“Walmart workers, many of whom are paid less than $25,000 a year at the country’s largest employer, are risking their livelihoods by striking against an employer that aggressively and illegally fires and disciplines workers for speaking out for better jobs,” stated the organization OUR Walmart, which has been helping workers rally for their labor rights at the big-box store.
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