Police in riot gear arrest California Walmart workers during sit-in over wages, firings

[IDemo]

Police decked out in riot gear arrested Walmart workers and supporters after they blocked an intersection in front of a Pico Rivera, California store Thursday evening.

KTLA reports dozens of protestors were taken into custody by sheriff’s deputies wearing riot helmets and holding batons, several hours after the sit-in began, drawing hundreds protesting working conditions at the retail giant.

The sit-in followed a work stoppage earlier in the day at the company’s Crenshaw Boulevard store in Baldwin Hills.

Employees in Baldwin Hills store stopped work and sat on the floor with tape over the mouths reading ‘strike,’ while holding signs saying, “Walmart stop the illegal threats.”

(Video at link)

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/11/watch-police-in-riot-gear-arrest-california-walmart-workers-during-sit-in-over-wages-firings/

[Scuba]

1. Well of course they did. Can't have the proles thinking they can get away with a sit-in.

[HereSince1628]

2. at least two purposes for the gear...intimidation of protestors and confidence of cops

I would think it's mostly psychological but it's potentially protective...ya never know, right?

[Demit]

3. Looking at the cop bellies in that pic, I'm guessing they feel they need gear

to make up for being out of shape.

[Old Codger]

17. They like to

Get all rigged up and play dressup baddass

[Triana]

4. Notice how most police no longer serve to protect communities or individuals- only corporations? n/t

[lonestarnot]

7. Yes, and those private prisons "We have a place for you." and "We make money off keeping you there"

[theHandpuppet]

15. It's always been that way

We've just been living with a myth for so long we've forgotten our own history.

[Old Codger]

18. many times

The courts have ruled that the police do not have any duty whatsoever to "protect and serve" nothing at all. They are not required to "protect" anyone. They are basically history keepers, and "law enforcers" not "protectors".

[ReRe]

19. My first thought was "mercenaries." n/t

[ellie]

21. Yes the military, too

See Smedley Butler's War Is A Racket:

http://www.ratical.org/ratville/CAH/warisaracket.html

[Dont call me Shirley]

5. We must create a tidal wave of democratic workplaces and worker owned companies,

then this spoiled-Walton-heir-authoritarian-slave-owner mentality will stop. Let's use the gop meme against them. They are the beast, "let's starve the beast".

[lonestarnot]

6. What? Slaves doing a SIT IN! OMG! Get back to work you lazy fuckers!

[WillyT]

8. K & R !!!

[FairWinds]

9. I've been seeing this lately . .

where workers block public streets . . "blocked an intersection in front of . ."
Why don't they occupy the store itself? Wouldn't doing so make it more
obvious that the police are protecting the Waltons, not the people?
I would appreciate someone explaining this to me . .

[pinboy3niner]

16. The protests began with a sitdown strike inside another store in the area

These are part of a series of Black Friday protests around the country this month.

[NYC_SKP]

10. And this foreshadows why we have the Second Amendment and need to keep it.

Not to suggest that guns should be used in this case, not at all.

But if you carry this trend out to it's logical conclusion, a stronger and more oppressive police state, then the potential need to resist one day becomes more clear.

[F4lconF16]

28. The problem with that thinking

Is that nothing you can own will make a shred of difference. A drone strike, boom, you're done. A single M1 Abrams and boom, you're done. A helicopter and boom, you're done. The Second Amendment is so outdated it makes little sense in today's reality to suggest that it will somehow be able to protect us.

I agree, though, that someday soon we will need to resist the police state. But armed rebellion will be crushed should they ever decide to. We spend too much on our military, and at the rate we're losing our constitutional protections, I would not be surprised if the temptation to use it on the proles becomes too much.

[NYC_SKP]

30. The flaw in your counterpoint is that soldiers and police tend to belong to the same oppressed class

And, as such, they could be expected to become resistors and fight with the masses, not against them.

Many here argue that because the police and armies are so strong, there's no way to repel them, so why not just give it all up.

At least that's the way it sounds, and I don't think it's true and I really don't think it's healthy to just give up.

[F4lconF16]

31. Oh, I definitely didn't mean to suggest giving up.

I'll be on the streets with the rest of you, resisting the heck out of a police state. I'll fight, riot, go to jail if need be (though I'll be advocating non-violence in every possible situation, and utilizing it where I can).

That said, I think history tends to show that unless things are really, really, really bad, the soldiers and police will stay on the side that pays them. If they have food, shelter, and are just a little more privileged, they'll happily step on the rest of us to keep that.

Remember too that many of these people are classic authoritarians. They're attracted to jobs where they hold power over others (part of the problem with our current police) and they follow orders to a T.

[logosoco]

11. I wonder if this WM is like so many around me in MO. they are

given a break on property taxes to build the store. They collect sales tax, and the employees pay taxes on their property, cars and what they buy.
The cops don't seem to care who is actually paying their salaries. They do what TPTB tell them to do.

[Brigid]

12. Gotta keep those uppity proles in their place, right?

[boatsfra]

13. Walmart-creator of black Friday stampedes...

Walmart-creator of black Friday stampedes.

[KingCharlemagne]

14. I've been down with the flu or a bug for the past few days and

don't watch local TV, so did not know this was going on until late last night when my wife found out about it on FaceBook and brought it to my attention.

I will try to tune in locally and update this site with any further developments as they occur. (Might even take a spin by the Baldwin hills WM in person, as it is close to my neck of the woods.)

Thanks for posting.

[ReRe]

20. Go check 'em out, Great Grandpa KingCharlemagne

We'll be looking for your on sight report.

[pinboy3niner]

23. This was on all the Socal news stations last night

They should be following up on their broadcasts and websites. You might also check the Our Walmart website for more protest info, including advance notice of upcoming actions.

[KingCharlemagne]

24. Thanks for the tips. I should be fully back on my feet by tomorrow. Whatevver this bug is

has now changed to the itchy scratch cough and head congestion phase.

[heaven05]

27. eat more fresh garlic,

whole if you can take it, the 'hotter, the better'. I eat one or two cloves regularly with a good full meal and it helps.

[joeglow3]

22. Sorry, but I would do the same thing

Now, one can be very respectful no matter what they are wearing and I would be. However, if I had a job that required me to go into the situations they do every day, I would take all the precautions I could (if for no reason other than for my family's sake). Prepare for the worst, hope for the best.

Now, if the police are being physically aggressive when the situation doesn't necessitate it, THAT needs to be addressed.

[F4lconF16]

29. While I understand where you're coming from

I think Ferguson is very clear evidence that the riot gear makes it much more likely that there will be violence. If all is peaceful and the police are trained not to amplify a bad situation, the gear becomes unnecessary. As it stands, it only serves to incite fear and tension.

[Tsiyu]

25. WalMart's CEO C. Douglas McMillon makes a million a year

And yet the smug, classless motherfucker is gonna have riot squads sent out to beat up people who want a few thousand more a year?

C. DOUGLAS MCMILLON: You are a one of the biggest assholes around, you and the entire Walton family.

To contact corporate WalMart;

http://www.theceodirectory.com/2014/08/walmart-ceo-douglas-mcmillon.html
CEO of Walmart - Douglas McMillon
CEO of Walmart - Douglas McMillon
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
CEO: Mr. C. Douglas McMillon
Stock Symbol: WMT
Address:
702 SW 8th Street
Bentonville, AR 72716 USA
Phone: [phone]
Salary: 954.4K

[heaven05]

26. the rich get richer....

at the expense of the poor getting poorer...........all the poor want is a livable income. What's so wrong with that? It's not like the waltons can't afford it.......but the name waltons says it all........it says greed, piggishness and scions, leaders of the capitalist american way...now. Hateful, ugly people like this run buy all the elections and the elected and rule the political party's....these arrests are an example of american corporate rule at it's best....and for the purist, I know they were blocking traffic so they should have been arrested, right?

[Separation]

32. Holy crap that is crazy!!!

There are Walmarts in California?

[johnnyreb]

33. Good video.

Clear night, peaceful strikers, fat riot police. Go Denise! Go strikers!!

[Odin2005]

34. The inherent violence of the Capitalist System.