A two-minute flash mob by Occupy Santa Ana protesters did not seem to have the intended effect, leaving some Wal-Mart employees scratching their heads.
About 20 protesters gathered near the cash registers at the Santa Ana Wal-Mart on Tuesday evening and began chanting a message intended to convey solidarity with employees, urging them to skip work the day after Thanksgiving.
“We believe that it is wrong that the corporation you work for is making you come in to work in the middle of the night when you should be at home with your families,” the group chanted in unison, according to the Orange County Register. “It is wrong that their profits soar while you struggle to make ends meet. ... We strongly urge you to call in sick on Black Friday.”
The group then marched out of the store chanting, “We are the 99 percent.”
At least one shopper joined the group and marched out with them, pumping her fist in the air. Afterward, as the protesters drove away, a handful of Wal-Mart employees gathered outside the store’s entrance, the newspaper reported.
One woman called the protest “stupid.” Another said it was “disrespectful.” A third employee seemed to miss the protesters’ message entirely, thinking they were connected to an effort to unionize workers at the store.