'Bezos, You Can't Hide': Demonstrators Hold Protest Outside DC Whole Foods

Demonstrators rallied outside a Whole Foods in Washington on May 1, amid multiple worker walkouts that took place across the country due to treatment during the COVID-19 crisis.

Retail employees of Jeff Bezos-owned Amazon and subsidiary Whole Foods, as well as gig workers for Instacart and Target-owned Shipt, coordinated protests on May 1. The workers alleged mistreatment during the COVID-19 pandemic, with a lack of protective gear, clean working conditions and hazard pay. The protest was sparked by Amazon terminating their unlimited time off policy, a blow to workers especially felt during an increase in orders due to quarantines.

Footage shot outside Whole Foods shows demonstrators holding signs and chanting: “Bezos, Bezos, you can’t hide, we can see your greedy side”. In response to a heckler who told the protestors to go away, a speaker says: “See, you know, people like that, from petty-bourge backgrounds, in suburban lifestyles, try to come to tell us, whose family members are actually dying, that we should go away”.

As of April 30, Washington reported 4,658 cases of COVID-19 and 231 deaths. Credit: @AdelleNaz via Storyful