Community Corner
Will Black Friday Protests Stop You From Shopping on Michigan Avenue?
POLL: Chicago activists plan to disrupt shopping the day after Thanksgiving along the Magnificent Mile. Will that change your plans?
CHICAGO, IL — Activists will be protesting along North Michigan Avenue the day after Thanksgiving for the second consecutive year as part of a Black Friday boycott.
Last year's demonstration, which had some Magnificent Mile stores seeing their sales cut in half on that day, was in response to the city's handling of the Laquan McDonald shooting. While the shooting will still be part of the focus of this year's protest, organizers also want to raise awareness about other issues affecting Chicago, according to Crain's Chicago Business.
Groups participating in this year's event include Black Lives Matter, local churches and the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, the report stated.
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"In support of our demand that the City Council Enact [Civilian Police Accountability Council] we are calling upon all the freedom loving people of Chicago to join us in boycotting the Magnificent Mile in the Loop on Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving," a post about the protest on the alliance's Facebook page stated.
RELATED: Magnificent Mile Fills With Laquan McDonald Protesters on Black Friday
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According to the posting, the protest will be from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 25, and participants will meet at the Water Tower monument, 806 N. Michigan Ave.
Frank Chapman, one of the field organizer's for the alliance, told Crain's that unions, such as the Chicago Teachers Union, would also be part of the protest. Chicago police confirmed that there is a permit for a protest Friday on Michigan Avneue, but the department did not say who requested it, the report stated.
YOUR TURN: Will the planned protests along North Michigan Avenue stop you from shopping at those stores on Black Friday? Share your thoughts and opinions in the comments section. Plus, take Patch's poll on the topic.
Activists protested the city's handling of the Laquan McDonald shooting by blocking shoppers heading into stores along North Michigan Avenue on the day after Thanksgiving, Black Friday, in 2015. (photo via Patch archive)
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