Shop-ins were a form of public protest used briefly in 1964 as part of the Civil rights movement.
Demonstrators would enter a store posing as customers, pile a basket or trolley high with groceries, take them through the checkout and then refuse to pay, leaving the goods piled at the checkout. The tactic was used primarily by the Congress of Racial Equality to protest against Lucky Stores hiring policies. Their 1964 protest ended after a meeting between CORE members and Lucky Stores' representatives, chaired by San Francisco mayor John Shelley.
The tactic was denounced by some civil rights organisations, such as the Baptist Ministers' Union.
References
- ^ Sarasota Journal: Shop-Ins Newest Weapon In Use By Demonstrators, February 28th 1964
- The Spokesman-Review: CORE goes shopping February 26th 1964
- Industrial Research unit, Wharton School of Finance and Commerce; Report: The Racial policies of American industry, University of Pennsylvania Press, 1972, ISBN 9780812290691, p118
- Lodi News-Sentinel: Brown Rips Into Recent "Shop-Ins", March 2nd 1964