Police arrested labor organizer Chris Smalls outside the Met Gala in Manhattan while he protested the event's sponsorship by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos [1].
The arrest highlights the intersection of corporate labor disputes and global political activism, as Smalls used the high-profile event to challenge the wealth and influence of billionaires.
Smalls, a former Amazon employee, targeted the May 2024 [1] event to draw attention to the treatment of Amazon workers [2]. Following his release from police custody, Smalls said to AJ+ about his ongoing activism. During the interview, he connected the struggle for labor rights within the U.S. to broader international issues, specifically the Palestinian cause [3].
The protest focused on the disparity between the luxury of the gala and the conditions of the workers producing the wealth that sponsors such events. Smalls used the platform to critique the systemic influence of the ultra-wealthy on society and government [2].
"Billionaires gotta go," Smalls said [2].
Smalls has a history of challenging the corporate structure of the e-commerce giant. He previously said that the company underestimated his efforts to organize workers. "They thought we were a joke," Smalls said [4].
While some reports initially described the identity of the arrested protester as unconfirmed, other reports identified him as the Amazon labor leader [1, 3]. The demonstration took place in New York City, where the gala's visibility provided a global stage for Smalls to link worker exploitation with geopolitical struggles [1, 3].
“Billionaires gotta go.”
This incident demonstrates a growing trend of 'intersectional activism,' where labor leaders link domestic workplace grievances with international human rights movements. By protesting at a venue sponsored by Jeff Bezos, Smalls attempted to strip the prestige from the corporate sponsorship and reframe the narrative around the source of that wealth.
