Across the U.S. on Black Friday, activists in the Occupy movement are urging boycotts of big chain stores.
At least 150 protesters were gathering outside Macy's flagship store in Manhattan for an anti-fur rally.
In Seattle, protesters were carpooling to Wal-Mart stores. Occupy Seattle is encouraging shoppers to patronize small business or give homemade gifts.
Occupy D.C. was calling for donations to a "really, really free market" so that others can go shopping for free.
Flash mobs were planned in Iowa. And in Chicago, protesters will sing Christmas carols asking shoppers to buy local.
An effort known as "Occupy Black Friday" was planning actions against the nation's top 100 publicly-traded retail stores.
"The idea is simple, hit the corporations that corrupt and control American politics where it hurts, their profits," the group reportedly said on its Facebook page.
"Until people change their behavior and send a different message through the system about what their values are then the system will start to respond," Occupy Oakland activist Mike Rufo told KTVU.
Watch this video from CNN's American Morning, broadcast Sept. 25, 2011.
