On many levels, in fact. First and foremost being the “just what do you expect to accomplish” level.
Activists plan Black Friday protest on North Michigan Avenue
Short from: some Black lives Matter protestors are demanding some changes in Chicago policing. So rather than taking their grievance to the city government, they’re taking it to… shoppers?
One of the organizers is quoted as saying “We want to discourage people from shopping on the Mag Mile,” and it’s pointed out that due to a similar protest last years sales were down on black Friday by 25% to 50% in some stores. The thing I gotta wonder is… can the stores sue the organizers for the lost revenue? It’s one thing if a store loses revenue because someone stands out front with a sign that says “This Store Sucks,” it’s quite another if protestors block the entrance (which is shown happening in a photo in the article). The first would be free speech. The second would seem to be illegal. So it would seem entirely appropriate for the stores to band together and buy some high-priced shysters to sue the protest organizers into oblivion. Even if they don;t recoup costs, they can say “We want to discourage people from blocking shopping on the Mag Mile.”
Second: I’m unclear how wise it is to mess with Black Friday shoppers. They tend to not be too rational.
Although I must admit that the idea of the current generation of professional protestors getting stomped to death by a stampede of bargain hunters fills my heart with giddiness. And blood.
I would have as much sympathy for a trampled Black Friday protestor as I would someone trampled while running with the bulls.