Protestors take over Fifth Ave Apple Store in 'die-in' demonstration
A group of protestors condemning the controversial police killings of two African Americans took part in a "die-in" at the iconic Fifth Avenue Apple Store in New York City Friday night, crowding the site and bringing retail operations to a grinding halt.
An on-scene report from USA Today said "dozens" were involved in the non-violent die-in protest, which saw Apple Store employees -- still wearing (RED) t-shirts symbolizing Apple's support in the global fight against AIDS -- milling around, taking pictures as activists took over.
Some protestors held signs that read "I can't breathe" in reference to Eric Garner, a black New York City resident who died in July after an altercation with police that saw Staten Island officer Daniel Pantaleo apply what some claim to be an illegal chokehold during the arrest. In a video of the incident, shot by a bystander carrying a cellphone, Garner can be heard repeatedly saying, "I can't breathe."
A protestor from Brooklyn named Zandir Santos said the 5th Ave. Apple Store, along with a nearby Macy's location, was selected as a message to corporate America.
"The CEO of Apple knows we shut his store down -- that means capitalist America is going to take us seriously," Santos said. "We are going to shake up your business and we want to hit you where it hurts."
Others in the Apple Store lay down on the ground to symbolize the death of Michael Brown, an 18-year-old African American man who was fatally shot during a run-in with Ferguson, Mo. police officer Darren Wilson.
The protests in New York are in part spillover from roving demonstrations held in Ferguson both after Brown's death and a subsequent grand jury decision that found no cause to indict Wilson. A more recent decision by a grand jury investigating the Garner case found similarly, touching off a conflagration of outrage against what protestors believe is racial profiling as both police officers were white.
Editor's note: Due to the highly controversial nature of this story, comments have been redirected to the AppleOutsider forum.
An on-scene report from USA Today said "dozens" were involved in the non-violent die-in protest, which saw Apple Store employees -- still wearing (RED) t-shirts symbolizing Apple's support in the global fight against AIDS -- milling around, taking pictures as activists took over.
Some protestors held signs that read "I can't breathe" in reference to Eric Garner, a black New York City resident who died in July after an altercation with police that saw Staten Island officer Daniel Pantaleo apply what some claim to be an illegal chokehold during the arrest. In a video of the incident, shot by a bystander carrying a cellphone, Garner can be heard repeatedly saying, "I can't breathe."
A protestor from Brooklyn named Zandir Santos said the 5th Ave. Apple Store, along with a nearby Macy's location, was selected as a message to corporate America.
"The CEO of Apple knows we shut his store down -- that means capitalist America is going to take us seriously," Santos said. "We are going to shake up your business and we want to hit you where it hurts."
Others in the Apple Store lay down on the ground to symbolize the death of Michael Brown, an 18-year-old African American man who was fatally shot during a run-in with Ferguson, Mo. police officer Darren Wilson.
The protests in New York are in part spillover from roving demonstrations held in Ferguson both after Brown's death and a subsequent grand jury decision that found no cause to indict Wilson. A more recent decision by a grand jury investigating the Garner case found similarly, touching off a conflagration of outrage against what protestors believe is racial profiling as both police officers were white.
Editor's note: Due to the highly controversial nature of this story, comments have been redirected to the AppleOutsider forum.
Comments
If someone had dumped one of those illegal, 32 ounce Slushies from the second floor you would see the dead rise again.
Next time these idiots get in trouble I hope the cops tell them to call their friendly neighborhood gang-banger to help them out and piss off.
Interesting the lack of protestors when things like this happen.
Interesting the lack of protestors when things like this happen.
Exactly... or... uhm... this??
http://www.al.com/news/index.ssf/2014/12/washington_times_contrasts_med.html
Apple's business shouldn't be too badly hurt. I'll bet a good amount of those jerks lying on the floor are iPhone owners.
A senior police official said one change under discussion was the expanded use of Taser stun guns, which are available to a small number of New York officers but have been controversial here and elsewhere because of the risk they can pose to people with heart problems and other medical issues.
The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said stun guns could be a way to provide officers with more options for subduing people who were resisting arrest and avoiding the close contact that can lead to serious, even fatal, injuries to officers and suspects.
The "Die-In" demonstrations often had protestors constantly interrupting their feign death to check their phones. They probably chose the Apple store for the free Wi-Fi.
They had a story about these morons on the evening tv news tonight, which I happened to watch. What a bunch of losers and lowlifes!
Apple has nothing to do with their offensive and illegal protests at all. If the losers wish to protest then they should do so in a legal fashion, and not invade retail stores and stage idiotic die-ins. Go outside and die, just don't bother anybody else in the process. When protesting goes beyond simple protesting and the fools start blocking traffic and creating delays for the general public, then these protests need to get shut down. The protests should be broken up using force if necessary and mass arrests should be made. Throw all of these bums in jail. I heard that around 200 of them got arrested the other night, just in NYC. That's where these disgusting people belong, in jail.
"The CEO of Apple knows we shut his store down -- that means capitalist America is going to take us seriously," Santos said. "We are going to shake up your business and we want to hit you where it hurts."
Screw these hoodlum thugs. Apple should temporarily step up their security in this store and the NYPD should be on the lookout for any repeat of this moronic incident. The Fifth Ave Apple store rakes in more money than any other Apple store, at least last I heard. Apple should make sure that no more thugs hold die-ins and interrupt business at their store.
These protesters are beyond annoying and I want to see the NYPD kick some ass. Arrest them, kick the crap out of them, do whatever it takes, just make sure that the protesters don't inconvenience anybody else.
How else do you think they organized it?
Arrest them all for loitering.
How stupid can you possibly be? Honestly. How stupid? Is it quantifiable?
HOLY CRAP. YOU GUYS ACTUALLY DID IT! YOU ROCK! Keep doing this with the political stories.
I have yet to see where any of these altercations were not involved with someone who was not involved in a previous crime. If they had stayed out of trouble then there would not have been a problem.
I really think we need a shoot first system instead of this BS we have going on now. If a cop tells you to stop then frigging stop.
Contrary to what the media makes it seem like, cops don't want to have to cuff you and haul you to jail. Cops would much rather:
a) write you a citation to show up to court (if you are really being a dumb ass)
or
b) explain what you did wrong and send you on your way for cooperating.
As offended as I was by the comment of the protester, I am doubly offended by the comments of the people posting on this site. "Drag them out by their hair"? How DARE you speak such offensive poison on this site!
Yeah!! We don't need that!!
I'd rather just spill hot coffee from the upper floor right on top of them... that'll get them up, and will be fun to watch.
As offended as I was by the comment of the protester, I am doubly offended by the comments of the people posting on this site. "Drag them out by their hair"? How DARE you speak such offensive poison on this site!
It's not offensive, it's common sense. There's nothing wrong with physically removing unwanted and unwelcome intruders.
why don't protestors ever go to skid row or south central to do their demonstrations?
They're dying wrong.