Following a first-ever sit-down strike Thursday at a Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NYSE: WMT) location in southern California, members of OUR Walmart said on Friday that the group plans 1,600 protests across the country on Black Friday (the day after Thanksgiving). Strikes and protests on that day are aimed at persuading “Walmart’s owners” to institute a minimum wage of $15 an hour, to provide consistent, full-time work and to stop what organizers call “the company’s illegal silencing of workers who are standing up for better jobs.”

This marks the third year that Walmart employees and their supporters will demonstrate against the world’s largest retailer. In 2012, protests were held at about 1,200 stores in 46 states and approximately 30,000 people participated. Last year, protests occurred at some 1,500 stores and involved “tens of thousands” of participants.

About 400 of the 2012 protesters were Walmart employees, according to OUR Walmart. The company estimated that fewer than 50 employees took part in the 2012 protests and fewer than 20 took part last year.

OUR Walmart expects Black Friday protests to include a broad group of people, including tens of thousands of teachers, voters, members of the clergy, elected officials, civil rights leaders and women’s rights activists, as well as Walmart employees.

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