According to a number of videos posted to social media, protesters in DC placed a model guillotine in front of Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos’ Washington complex. A flyer for the event stated “End the abuse and profiteering. Abolish the police, the prisons, and Amazon.”
A number of videos have been posted to social media that appear to show protesters placing a model guillotine in front of Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos’ Washington complex. Alongside the guillotine is a sign reading “support our poor communities, not our wealthy men.”
Drew Hernandez, the host of the web show “Lives Matter,” posted videos to Twitter that show protesters gathering near the guillotine:
DC protesters have set up a “guillotine” in protest of Jeff Bezos in front of his complex in DC pic.twitter.com/VZ0AWTJqaV
— Drew Hernandez (@livesmattershow) June 28, 2020
In another video posted by Hernandez, protesters can be seen giving a speech stating: “when they become threatened, and we have no voice, the knives come out,” while standing before the guillotine:
DC protester says: “when they become threatened, and we have no voice, the knives come out.” In front of a guillotine set up in front of Jeff Bezos complex in DC pic.twitter.com/synjRwgD1H
— Drew Hernandez (@livesmattershow) June 28, 2020
A group called “Abolish The Present / Reconstruct The Future” has taken credit for the demonstration, a flyer for the event can be seen below. The group stated in their tweet “It’s an uprising, and we’re taking it to our neighbor @JeffBezos‘ house #dcprotest“
It's an uprising, and we're taking it to our neighbor @JeffBezos' house #dcprotest pic.twitter.com/D70BWwZ3o8
— abolish the present / reconstruct our future (@AbolishTheNow) June 27, 2020
This isn’t the first time that Bezos has been the focus of anti-capitalist movements, last year a Change.org petition was made titled “Guillotine Jeff Bezos”
We can do better than this comrades, only 380 people? pic.twitter.com/G0eUKQ8TqG
— milkshake trebuchet operators guild local 1312 ↙↙↙ (@mcgrinnley) November 20, 2019
Some went as far as to make jewelry and earrings depicting Bezos’ severed head:
Self-actualizing in my new Jeff Bezos guillotine earrings pic.twitter.com/dLSmQNUcyz
— Hannah Zack (@fakepalindromed) February 14, 2020
Bezos has faced harsh criticism in the past for the conditions that Amazon employees endure in the workplace and pay that they receive. Breitbart News recently reported that despite Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos’ promise to reflect on “systemic racism” facing black communities and urging employes to take time to learn and reflect on Juneteenth, many employees at the firm feel that little has actually been done to correct perceived racial inequalities within the company.
Discussing the Juneteenth celebration, Bezos’ told employees “I’m canceling all my meetings on Friday, and I encourage you to do the same if you can.” Many employees noted that for them, canceling meetings isn’t an option. Many other retailers offered Juneteenth as a paid holiday to workers, whereas Amazon requested that warehouse workers wear black to acknowledge the event.
Adrienne Williams, a black contract driver for Amazon in the Bay Area, commented: “What does a black shirt do for anybody in terms of social justice?” Williams argued that if Amazon wanted to address racial inequality at the firm, it should pay its workers more. “That would cut down the pre-existing condition that is poverty,” she said.
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship. Follow him on Twitter @LucasNolan or contact via secure email at the address lucasnolan@protonmail.com
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