Black Friday Protest by Occupy Orange County at South Coast Plaza

California, Orange County, People, Photography

Today is Black Friday, and that means that most stores are having big sales to try to draw in customers. The Occupy Orange County Irvine and Santa Ana groups both decided to hold a protest march at South Coast Plaza, a large high-end mall in Costa Mesa.  Since many stores were opening their doors at midnight this year, the march started at around 10:30pm in front of the Best Buy, and continued until after 1:30 am.

The lines were, predictably, very long:

The line for Old Navy's Black Friday sales at midnight. (Marc C. Perkins)
The line for the Old Navy at South Coast Plaza Metro Pointe at midnight extends out onto the sidewalk of Bear street.

The Best Buy line was gigantic, and the dozen or so Occupy Orange County protestors who were there walked up and down the line, chanting and handing out fliers.

Occupy Orange County protestors hand out fliers to people lined up at the Best Buy at South Coast Plaza at 1:25 am on the morning of Black Friday. Emahn is the man in the black suit jacket and jeans in front, while Joese is in the brown jacket and white pants further along the line. (Marc C. Perkins)
Occupy Orange County protestors hand out fliers to people lined up at the Best Buy at South Coast Plaza at 1:25 am on the morning of Black Friday. Emahn is the man in the black suit jacket and jeans in front, while Joese is in the brown jacket and white pants further along the line.

Most of the protestors who weren’t handing out fliers were tied together by a rope:

About a dozen Occupy Orange County protestors were in front of the Best Buy in South Coast Plaza early in the morning on Black Friday. The protesters were tied together by rope, being led by a single protestor dressed in a suit (as a banker), symbolizing how the 1% lead the 99%. (Marc C. Perkins)
About a dozen Occupy Orange County protestors were in front of the Best Buy in South Coast Plaza at 12:30am on Black Friday. Here the protestors stand tied together with rope in a line holding the "Occupy Orange County in Unity with Occupy Wall Street sign".

The rope was a part of a human art project by Occupy Orange County, Irvine.  At the front of the rope line was Web, dressed in a suit and holding the end, happily leading the rest of the protestors.  The goal was to illustrate how the 1% lead the 99%.

"Web" (Andrew) leads the Occupy Orange County, Irvine Black Friday march at South Coast Plaza. This picture was taken in front of the Best Buy. Web is dressed in a suit, and is posing to try ot appear like a falsely-simling banker. The other Occupy Irvine protesters were tied together by rope, which Web was holding the end of, symbolizing how the 1% lead the 99%. (Marc C. Perkins)
Web (Andrew) leads the Occupy Orange County, Irvine Black Friday march at South Coast Plaza. Web is dressed in a suit, and is posing like a smiling banker who is holding the end of the rope that ties the 99% to him.

After the Best Buy’s doors opened and the line shortened, the marchers headed over to the Old Navy, and then to the main mall itself, protesting in front of the Macy’s Men’s store and walking around the side of the mall.

Justin H., an Occupy Orange County, Irvine protestor, hands out fliers to customers lined up at the Old Navy at South Coast Plaza early in the morning (12:48am) on Black Friday. (Marc C. Perkins)
Justin, an Occupy Orange County, Irvine protestor, chats and hands out fliers to customers lined up at the Old Navy at South Coast Plaza early in the morning (12:48am) on Black Friday.
An unknown marcher holds the Occupy Orange County sign while marching at South Coast Plaza early in the morning (1:08am) on Black Friday. A lit South Coast Plaza sign is lit in the background. The protesters were tied together by rope, being led by a single protestor dressed in a suit (as a banker), symbolizing how the 1% lead the 99%. (Marc C. Perkins)
An unknown marcher holds the Occupy Orange County sign while marching at South Coast Plaza early in the morning (1:08am) on Black Friday. A lit South Coast Plaza sign is visible in the background.

The protest started out with about a dozen Occupy Orange County, Irvine protestors in front of the Best buy, and then grew in size when a dozen or so Occupy Orange County, Santa Ana protestors joined them around 12:30am.

Three Occupy Santa Ana protestors hold their fists in the air in front of The Container Store during a march early in the morning (1:24am) on Black Friday. The man in the center is Arman, and on the right is Alex. (Marc C. Perkins)
Three Occupy Santa Ana protestors hold their fists in the air in front of The Container Store during a march early in the morning (1:24am) on Black Friday. The man in the center is Arman, and on the right is Alex.

The march was entirely peaceful.  While each store typically had their own private security guards at the entrance to the stores, the protestors and the guards left each other alone, and there was functionally no police presence around the march at any point.

Reactions to the protestors from the people in line was mixed.  Some cheered or otherwise showed support, many jeered, and most were simply wondering who these people were and what “Occupy Orange County” was.

More pictures

See my Occupy Orange County – Black Friday March photo gallery for all of my images from the night.

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