London, May 16 (RHC)-- Clashes broke out in London between police officers and protesters during a demonstration against labor conditions for retail workers. Several hundred people held a rally over the weekend against Topshop and Sir Philip Green, the chairman of the Arcadia group that owns the store.
Demonstrators gathered outside the company’s flagship store, bringing traffic to a standstill on the renowned Oxford Street. The protesters, who came out as part of a campaign for a real living wage for cleaners at the fashion retailer, were chanting, “Topshop, shame on you.”
One of the organizers, Aysan Dennis, told reporters: “We want our voices heard. This is a class war.”
After police moved the protesters out of Oxford Circus, they marched down Oxford Street, rushing towards the entrance of a John Lewis store where police stopped them from entering. Some of the demonstrators, who were wearing masks, lit red smoke bombs as bewildered shoppers watched on.