Backlash over Black Friday craze

A CTIVISTS staged protests around France (法國) against online retailer Amazon on Black Friday and tried to blockade a shopping mall in Paris (巴黎), as they denounced the rampant consumerism of the US Black Friday shopping frenzy that has spread to Europe.
French companies have embraced the discount shopping day held the day after the US Thanksgiving holiday following its propagation to Europe (歐洲) by Amazon and others.
However, there has also been a backlash, driven in part by environmental concerns.
In Spain (西班牙), protesters also put up a banner in the heart of Madrid (馬德里) that read: “Consumerism = climate crisis”.
Manon Aubry, a left-wing member of the European parliament, said the protest was intended to “denounce the social, environmental and fiscal damage from Amazon”.
“From the streets to parliament, we continue to fight against the impunity of the multinationals,” she said.
Attac, a group that campaigns for more democratic globalisation, said there was also a sit-down protest outside an Amazon logistics centre near Lyon (里昂), in eastern France. A video posted online by Attac showed police in riot helmets picking up activists and hauling them away. The Lyon protesters had erected a sign saying: “Amazon ... Stop expansion, Stop Overproduction!”
Amazon France said it respected the rights of people to express their opinions but that it did not extend to organising violent demonstrations where people work.

(This article is published on Junior Standard on 10 December 2019)

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