Political News:
DOZENS of protesters shut down an Amazon warehouse in France on Thursday in protest at Black Friday – claiming it harms the planet.
Activists from climate group Amis de la terre (Friends of the Earth) dumped old fridges and microwaves on the driveway outside the Bretigny-sur-Orge facility south of Paris.
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They also spread hay and lay on the road outside the gates – while holding banners that read: “Amazon: For the climate, for jobs, stop expansion, stop over-production!”
Police later removed the activists from the site – but more demonstrations are planned for Black Friday.
French climate groups are planning “Block Friday” demonstrations that could see more Amazon sites shut down across the country.
It comes amid a backlash against the sales phenomenon – timed to coincide with the Thanksgiving Day weekend in the US.
Opposition to Black Friday is particularly strong in France – where some lawmakers are calling for it to be banned altogether.
There is concern among critics at the speed with which the event has morphed into a worldwide phenomenon – even though it stems from a specifically US holiday.
Scenes of frenzied crowds storming shops and even outbreaks of violence among bargain-hunting costumers have also become regular features of the Black Friday sales.
Political News: BAN BLACK FRIDAY
A committee of lawmakers in France’s National Assembly passed an amendment Monday that proposes prohibiting Black Friday.
They claimed it causes “resource waste” and “overconsumption.”
The amendment, which was put forward by France’s former environment minister, Delphine Batho, will be debated next month.
France’s e-commerce union has condemned it.
On Europe 1 radio Thursday, France’s ecological transition minister, Elisabeth Borne, criticized Black Friday for creating “traffic jams, pollution, and gas emissions.”
She added that she would support Black Friday if it helped small French businesses – but said it mostly benefits large online retailers.
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