Reverend Billy in Vallejo,CA : 無料・フリー素材/写真
Reverend Billy in Vallejo,CA / Brave New Films
| ライセンス | クリエイティブ・コモンズ 表示 2.1 |
|---|---|
| 説明 | By J.M. BROWN, Times-Herald staff writerTHE REV. BILLY TALEN leads the Stop Shopping Choir through the Wal-Martparking lot in a Wednesday demonstration. The New York-based group wasasked by local unions to perform outside the store. Photo: J.L.Sousa/Times-HeraldTraveling New York City performance artists who demonstrate againstlarge corporations swooped down on Vallejo's Wal-Mart on Wednesday tobolster local efforts to keep the company from growing in Solano County.Wearing a tan suit complete with a tele-evangelist's pompadour, the Rev.Billy Talen and about 20 members of his Stop Shopping choir led a cheekybut colorful protest outside the store, singing anti-corporate themesongs that mimicked a religious revival service.Community activists and union leaders hailed the performance as acreative addition to their campaign to stunt Wal-Mart's plans to buildin Vallejo, American Canyon and several other cities."Standard tools of protest don't always work," said San Francisco lawyerMark Wolfe, who described Talen's demonstration as a "peaceful,non-confrontational" way to spread the message about what Wal-Martcritics see as the company's unfair labor practices.Wal-Mart manager George Dias said the protest did not disrupt hisstore's operations and he did not ask the group to leave. "They havetheir rights just like anybody else," Dias said.Dias declined to comment on the group's claims that Wal-Mart pays unfairwages, drives out smaller competition and pollutes the environment.Customers gawked and snickered at the choir, and few seemed to payattention to the yellow flyers, handed out by demonstrators, thatdecried Wal-Mart as a scourge on taxpayers."It was tacky," Suisun City resident Wilma Lewis said of the protest. "Ilove Wal-Mart. I will be coming back."Lewis said she didn't care about concerns that Wal-Mart's low priceshurt small businesses because "mom-and-pop" retailers often charge toomuch. And low-paying jobs are still jobs, she said."The times we live in we have to save as much as we can," Lewis said."It may not be the best-paying job, but it's a job."The Stop Shopping choir is also known to heckle Starbucks, whichsuccessfully pressed charges against Talen for disrupting business atone of its coffee stores near Los Angeles, said Wolfe, who representedTalen. Talen elected for a brief jail stint instead of paying a $100fine, Wolfe said.The choir's director, Savitry D., said the group chose to demonstrate inVallejo out of support for local unions who are fighting what she called"predatory practices" that are "classic Wal-Mart." She said the choirpurposely "blurs the line between performance, activism art and religion.""(We're here) to cheer up the activists," she said. "They need energyand support. (Wal-Mart growth) is going on all over the country."A local grass-roots organizer said the performance complemented agrowing sense of public activism in Vallejo that includes recent dissentabout the waterfront and downtown redevelopment plans."It's a new approach to getting the word out because it's different - itgets people's attention," said Stephanie Gomes, co-chair of the VallejoWaterfront Coalition. "That's what it's all about."Gomes said Wal-Mart may be popular for its low prices, but citizens payin the end through higher taxes driven up by low-paid workers seekinggovernment assistance."Vallejo is stepping up to say that we want what's right for the city,"Gomes said. "People are feeling empowered (to say) this is what we'regoing to stand for." |
| 撮影日 | 2004-01-30 22:14:15 |
| 撮影者 | Brave New Films , United States |
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| 撮影地 | |
| カメラ | PENTAX *ist D , PENTAX Corporation |
| 露出 | 0.001 sec (1/750) |
| 開放F値 | f/11.0 |
| 焦点距離 | 68 mm |