In honor of Black Friday, and the horrifically-named Gray Thursday, workers will protest at Walmart stores around the country today. Rev. Ed Middelton, a pastor at First Community Church in Dallas, Texas, who was arrested this morning, sums up the mega-chain's problems nicely: "Walmart makes billions of dollars in profit while paying workers so little that many cannot afford Thanksgiving dinner. It shows a complete disregard for employees and their families. Walmart’s business model is morally indefensible, and we won’t stand for it.”

Here in the Bay Area, a protest led by workers will go down at the San Leandro store (1919 Davis) at 3 pm. And over in Roseville (near Sacramento), a protest will happen at 10 am at 900 Pleasant Grove Blvd.

Elsewhere this morning, Walmart workers were arrested for protesting and drawing all sorts of attention to their important cause. For example:

· In SoCal, workers, supporters, and someone dressed as Santa, were arrested.

· Nine concerned supporters were arrested in a peaceful civil disobedience in Alexandria, VA.

· Over a dozen people were arrested in Dallas Ft. Worth, for sitting down in an intersection in the city.

· In Chicago, at least ten were pinched today, in one of four protests at Walmarts within the city limits.

Walmart, along with other retail stores like Macy's and Gap, opened their doors on Thanksgiving, a day typically reserved for family and friends and a day off. Alas.