Protests against Jeff Bezos broadcasted on the eve of the MET Gala
A 72-year-old Amazon worker bravely went on strike against the company’s founder, Jeff Bezos, on the night of the MET Gala. Her message was broadcast via projector on the walls of Bezos’ $120 million penthouse in New York City.
“Jeff Bezos, my name is Mary Hill. I am a 72-year-old warehouse worker at one of your facilities,” she grimly stated, catching the attention of passerbys.
“When we struggle from paycheck to paycheck, from week to week,” Hill paused, teary-eyed, “it really angers me. Because if it weren’t for every associate in every Amazon facility, he wouldn’t have all those zeroes behind his name.”
“Shame on you, Jeff Bezos! The people that need to be celebrated at the MET Gala are the workers. People like me. We deserve that celebration, we deserve more than we’re getting,” the woman said.
“There’s power in numbers, and there’s more of us than there are of you,” Hill warned. “Remember Jeff, ordinary people like myself that make you billionaires… If we built it, we can tear it down.”
Applause for protesters against Jeff Bezos
It’s a provocative and brave statement, especially coming from a woman still employed by the corporation. People on social media commented on her message, expressing both awe and sympathy. One Instagram user wrote, “That was real hurt in what she said. 72 years old, she should be happily retired doing whatever she damn well pleases. This America sucks.”
Another commenter wrote, “He could pay well, give his employees amazing working conditions and fantastic health benefits, and still be incredibly wealthy.” But would Bezos still be a billionaire if he went with this commenter’s suggestion?
Others on social media expressed worry that Hill might face retaliation for her message. But Mary Hill is not the only person to express discontent against Bezos in the same fashion.
Former Amazon Labor Union and Co-Founder Chris Smalls also delivered a message to Bezos. Smalls was terminated by Amazon in 2020 for violating social distancing rules during COVID-19. However, Smalls was protesting the lack of worker protections at Amazon during the pandemic. His firing is largely believed to be retaliatory.
Project Nimbus is a joint contract between Amazon and Google meant to provide cloud computing infrastructure and artificial intelligence services to the Israeli government. Smalls’ claims come from a United Nations report, alleging Amazon and Google’s complicity in the ongoing genocide in occupied Palestine.
“Also, we all know that Amazon has ties to ICE. They are powering ICE devices,” Smalls briefly said. Reportedly, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as well as the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) under President Donald Trump spent a whopping $140 million on cloud services from Amazon and Microsoft. The companies may not advocate for mass deportations, but the services they provide aid in the operations of the two government agencies.
Smalls encourages a boycott of the MET Gala and Bezos
“Now you’re gonna have the MET Gala, where you’re gonna be surrounded by all these elites, and billionaires, and A-listers, when you have poverty right outside on your streets.” Not just the streets, but based on Hill’s speech, it seems as though Amazon workers are also struggling to put food on the table.
To see the company’s founder wine and dine with oddly dressed celebrities echoes scenes from Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games. Just like in the books, people were barely scraping by to make ends meet, while those in the Capitol lived in luxury and detachment from the rest of the world.
“We got to remind ourselves that it’s more of us than it is of them, and when we fight back, everytime, we win. Billionaires shouldn’t exist, billionaires, they gotta go.” Smalls’ message ends with, “Boycott the Bezos MET Gala.”
(featured image: everyonehateselon_ on Instagram)
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