Occupy Denver is planning a rally to disrupt the large Walmart Distribution Center in Loveland on Monday. The rally is intended to show solidarity and support for the simultaneous protests planned to shut down West Coast ports from San Diego to Alaska coordinated by other occupy movements, according to CNN.
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In a press release, Occupy Denver had this to say about the Walmart rally:
On 12/12 Occupy Denver will be rallying at the Walmart Distribution Center, 7500 Crossroads Boulevard, Loveland, Colorado, in order to illustrate the problems with a globalization solely based on the interests of multi-national corporations and total disregard for human values or human beings.
UPDATE:
7News reports that six protesters were arrested at today's "Occupy Walmart" shut down.
Occupy Denver made a statement on their Facebook page saying that there were about 12 arrests as of 2 p.m. for getting into the roadway and jaywalking, but some were released quickly and re-joined the protest. Via Occupy Denver's Facebook page:
They have already released some of those arrested, one is already back protesting ;)! Swat police are present, but lots of truckers are honking and waving in solidarity! A big thanks to all the other Colorado camps that participated in this action with us today, solidarity!
On Twitter, one occupier said that Walmart was briefly shut down for approximately 25 minutes.
Calls to Walmart to confirm the brief shut down were not immediately returned.
Protesters are still at it this afternoon, The Coloradoan reports. The march is expected to last throughout the day.
EARLIER:
Occupy Denver will be joined by Occupy Salt Lake City as well as seven labor unions, according to Occupy Denver's Facebook page. Occupy SLC made this statement about the Walmart disruption on their website:
As West Coast Occupations shut down their ports and the East Coast Occupations shut down their waterfront on December 12th, 2011, Occupy Denver has given a call for occupations to organize mass mobilizations across the nation to support these actions. Occupy Salt Lake will stand in solidarity with Occupy Denver and others by disrupting the distribution system of Walmart, an excessively oppressive corporation that is actively destroying communities throughout our nation.
Occupy Denver protesters plan to meet at 8 a.m. at Civic Center Park for caravans to the site, according to their Facebook page.
Below is the full press release from Occupy Denver. For more information visit OccupyDenver.org.
Considering the coordinated attacks on the Occupations and attacks on workers:
Occupy Denver stands in solidarity with our brothers and sisters who will be protesting the abuses of the economic apparatus of the 1% on Dec 12.
The wanton pursuit of profit at the expense of human values by multinational corporations with no local grounding has destroyed communities throughout the world, disregarded workers' natural rights, eliminated production jobs in the United States and sweatshops abroad, and lowered the standard of living for all, only to enrich the wealthy by manipulating the laws and base corruption. At the same time, coordinated nationwide police attacks have turned our cities into battlegrounds in an effort to disrupt our Occupy movement, which is protesting this state of affairs while our politicians are neglecting the very serious issues we are raising.
We call on every occupation to organize a mass mobilization on December 12 in support of the actions taken across the US, especially those on the West Coast against Goldman Sachs and other bankers.
On 12/12 Occupy Denver will be rallying at the Walmart Distribution Center, 7500 Crossroads Boulevard, Loveland, Colorado, in order to illustrate the problems with a globalization solely based on the interests of multi-national corporations and total disregard for human values or human beings.