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Elves Strike Friday in San Francisco for Buy Nothing Day

by Chris and Kris ⋅ November 20, 2007 ⋅ Comment now ⋅ Subscribe RSS

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Kind of awesome press release/event notification I just received. Check check it out.

SANTA’S LITTLE HELPERS WALK OUT
The United Elves Guild of San Francisco Strike in Support of the Reverend Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping on Buy Nothing Day at Powell and Market Streets

Elves are available for interviews.

November 21, 2007 San Francisco, CA- In an unprecedented show of solidarity, the San Francisco chapter of the United Elves Guild (UEG) will pack up their tools and stage a work stoppage strike at the corner of Powell and Market Streets across from the San Francisco Centre on Friday, November 23 from noon to 1pm as part of the national annual Buy Nothing Day demonstration, a 24-hour shopping abstinence action. The day’s activities will kick off at Noon in front of the Cable Car Turnaround on the day after Thanksgiving traditionally known as Black Friday - the biggest shopping day of the year.

Picketing elves will lend their voices to a similar action taking place in New York City with the Reverend Billy and Church of Stop Shopping, hoping to bring attention to America’s growing addiction to shopping. Winning the support of the San Francisco UEG was a major victory for the Reverend Billy who has been in ongoing discussions with the elves about how they might join forces and start a global dialogue about the timely issues of credit card debt, overspending, the commercialization of Christmas, and its impact on the environment.

“Bless the elves for their courage in facing all they’ve had to deal with: outsourcing, unfair labor practices, and corporate greed. It is time we drew attention to these issues by joining them to save Christmas…one gift at a time,” said the Reverend Billy.

In support of their fellow elves nationally, UEG chapters in New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Portland, Oregon will stage strikes on Buy Nothing Day in each city.

Elmore Longbottom, UEG spokesman said, “We are honored to stand with the Church of Stop Shopping on this important day. And our brothers and sisters across the nation are ready to stand firm. I think I speak for elves all over the world when I say, Christmas has lost its message of goodwill and peace, and if we don’t stand up for change now there may be no turning back.”

Inaugurated in 2002, Buy Nothing Day marks a day of national consciousness about the culture of shopping. Demonstration organizers chose Black Friday because it signals the official beginning of the holiday and shopping season. When the nation’s attention is focused on big sales and the hottest gift ideas, Reverend Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping Choir offer an alternative message, a hopeful message that says - you don’t have to buy a gift, to give a gift.

Reverend Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping Gospel Choir are the subject of the new docucomedy WHAT WOULD JESUS BUY? - opening in theaters across the country throughout the holiday season and opening on Buy Nothing Day in San Francisco at the Lumiere Theatre. Reverend Billy will be making a special appearance at the Saturday evening screening at the Lumiere, as well.

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