Dressed in Hawaiian shirts, sunglasses and "No Sweat!--Union Made" hats, members of the Progressive Student Labor Movement (PSLM) led about 40 students on an "anti-sweatshop tour" of the Square Friday afternoon.
The protestors targeted the Coop, the Gap and Abercrombie & Fitch--stores which PSLM said sells clothing produced under poor labor conditions.
While walking they sang, "Hi-ho, hi-ho, on a sweatshop tour we go. We'll see the sites and fight for rights, hi-ho, hi-ho, hi-ho."
The tour began in front of Mass. Hall. Organizers addressed the crowd as the Beatles' "Magical Mystery Tour" played in the background.
PSLM member Benjamin L. McKean '02 told the protestors not to harass store customers or clerks. "Please be courteous and respectful of their native habitat. Do not feed them," he said.
The Coop was the first stop on the tour. Students gathered in front of the store's Mass. Ave. entrance as PSLM member Nitzhan Shoshan '00 condemned the labor practices under which the Coop's Harvard apparel is manufactured.
"The prices [at the Coop] are somewhat high--$20 for a hat. But only eight cents of the $20 goes to the Dominican workers that make these caps," Shoshan said, speaking into a megaphone.
The protest moved inside the store as students marched into the Coop through the Palmer Street entrance, stopping in the Harvard insignia department.
Recommended Articles
-
ReCooperateJust a few hours before the historic bombing of the Center for International Affairs on October 14, 1970, the Harvard
-
Bookstore Will Take Over Yale Co-OpThe Yale Co-op, the largest retailer in New Haven, will be replaced with a new Barnes & Noble bookstore offering
-
Coop Announces Losses, Cancels Member RebateContinued poor financial health will prevent the Coop from offering a rebate to its members for the third consecutive year,
-
Boston Joins Nation in WTO ProtestMore than 30 Harvard students joined hundreds of Bostonians who gathered downtown to protest the World Trade Organization (WTO) and
-
When Parents ProtestDuring Junior Parents Weekend, some juniors took their parents to classes with them. Some juniors introduced them to their blockmates
-
How Long Must We Wait?It’s 3 a.m. outside of Massachusetts Hall. Six students are huddled on blankets in a circle around boxes of Pop