While chanting, the students attempted to dissuade shoppers from entering the Gap and Niketown.

As one tall, well-dressed middle-aged man exited Nike carrying a shopping bag, a protestor addressed him with, "Thanks for supporting class-ism. Did you know Nike employs little children?" The man walked away quickly.

Outside the Gap, employee Linda Poon--carrying three Gap shopping bags--seemed annoyed and somewhat perplexed by the large crowd.

"I think it's kind of ridiculous," Poon said. "Are they trying to say that Nike has slaves? This is a high-end shopping place and they're just messing around."

Poon looked increasingly bothered as she surveyed the crowd of chanting students.

"I'm getting out of here," she said.

But the protest did seem to succeed in changing some holiday shoppers' plans, at least for the day.

"It's sad. I guess I didn't really know," said Boston resident Kim Franca. "It's good that they're making people aware of how bad the conditions really are."