“Solidarity that doesn’t cost anything isn’t real…if we stay silent and only focus on profit, then we’re part of the problem,” the co-founder said.
ALLEGAN, Mich. — A family-run business in Allegan said it is closing its doors on Friday as a form of protest.
Vice President Eddie Walker, who co-founded Broken Arrow Recycling & Disposal, said his company will be closed on Jan. 23 as part of Minnesota’s Day of Action.
Some activist groups in Minnesota who are against recent Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) actions are urging the community to pause all economic activity on Friday.
“We’re just going to be closed. All our employees are going to stay home. This is to stand in solidarity with Minnesotans and with immigrants across the country. It’s a day of action. So no work, no school, no shopping. It’s just like anti-consumption,” Walker said. “And we’re doing this because it’s a peaceful way to get the government to respond to what we demand, as far as change goes, and that’s mainly focused on immigrants facing unfair, dehumanizing treatment. And to also say that dignity and human rights matter more than profit.”
The company, which employs 11 people, including the executive team, aims to protest the government’s actions through the closure. Walker said his employees will have paid time off.
“I really want to stress that it is not political. It’s about people and immigrants are our neighbors, our coworkers, our customers, and immigrants contribute so much to our economy and our community, yet they’re being targeted and criminalized and treated as disposable, and that’s simply not acceptable,” Walker said. “And so as a business owner, it’s important to understand that businesses are not neutral, as much as like the American corporate community would like to say, ‘No, we are not neutral’ because we depend on our communities every day, for labor, for customers, for infrastructure, and so when we see that our communities are being targeted, it’s important that we stand up and we try to protect our community.”
Walker emphasized that, from his perspective, businesses are not neutral and have a responsibility to support their communities.
He said he shared a Facebook post earlier this week about his decision, and got some pushback. But Walker said those negative comments aren’t going to stop his efforts.
“I would like to point out that closing our business on Friday is going to cost us real money. We are, like I said, a small family-run business, and so closing for a day that’s that’s going to be impactful on us. We depend on our daily business, our daily transactions, to keep our employees paid, to keep the lights on and to keep providing this recycling resource for our community,” Walker said. “But solidarity that doesn’t cost anything isn’t real. Solidarity, change, and fighting for change are not meant to be comfortable. It’s supposed to be uncomfortable, and if we stay silent and only focus on profit, then we’re part of the problem.”
Other West Michigan businesses have recently spoken out about Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity, including Muskegon restaurant Fatty Lumpkins Sandwich Shack.
