By @David_EHG |

Police agencies across the country are preparing to forcefully evict thousands of rogue shoppers who have established illegal tent encampments in box store parking lots from California to Maine.

The shoppers, some of whom began occupying with their tents as early as last week, are part of a loosely-organized movement of citizens frustrated by cost of living increases. These citizens claim that rising costs, caused by corporate greed, can only be mitigated by filling their shopping carts full of gaming consoles and cheaply-made electronics on Black Friday.

Dozens of mayors and municipal councils across the US have sent Black Friday occupiers letters demanding that they vacate the Walmart and Best Buy parking lots in which they've established fully-functioning tent cities. However, the occupiers argue that they are merely exercising their First Amendment rights to assemble for low prices.



Holly Beeson and her mother-in-law, Tracy Hegwood, try to keep their spirits up from their encampment in a Best Buy parking lot in Clearwater, Florida. "We just try to make each other laugh so as not to cry," said Beeson as riot police mobilized in the distance.



The curiously-synchronized mobilization of riot police across the country – many armed with chemical weapons and LRAD devices – points to the fact that mayors and municipal governments seem to have lost patience with the shoppers as midnight approaches. Many fear imminent evictions that could turn violent.

George Andrews of Eau Claire, Wisconsin, who began the website Occupy Best Buy, is worried that such a raid will come before he has a chance to purchase an iPhone at discounted prices.

"How on earth will I be able to film police gassing us for no reason before I've had a chance to actually buy the phone?" Andrews lamented as his wife watched the Lions-Packers game on a big screen television from the trunk of their SUV.





Andrews and his wife anxiously await Black Friday from their tent as riot police begin staging on the outskirts of their encampment in a Denny's parking lot.

Others in the Black Friday movement camping with Andrews before a Best Buy. Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker has characterized them as "ruthless, incoherent shoppers who clearly hate America."

At a Walmart parking lot in Covington, Louisiana – where hundreds have gathered in support of Black Friday – local police stole the occupiers' generators ahead of an expected early-morning raid.

"It was unbelievable," said Joe Wanko, who has been camped out for a week. "They came in here dressed like regular people and took away our generators and all of our grills except one. Now we got some guy powering the TV using his car battery. This is criminal."

On Thursday afternoon, several cities had already cleared Black Friday encampments, with many occupiers claiming brutality and the use of illegal weaponry on groups of peaceful shoppers. In Portland, baton-wielding police fired tear gas at shoppers encamped in a park across from a Target and an Office Depot, and in New York City, the NYPD expelled media cameras before descending on a group of Black Friday shoppers camped before a Nike Superstore.





(Above) Riot police in Portland evict shoppers longing for record-low deals at Target, while (below) the NYPD remove journalists before brutalizing shoppers encamped for discounted basketball shoes.

With Black Friday approaching, many fear similar scenes are about to play out across the country. "I've got nothing else to do," said a shopper in Charleston, South Carolina, "so I might as well stay to see what happens."

For many shoppers, the threat of police violence will not deter them. "I do this every year," Andrews said. "This is my life. They can come here, but they can't kill this movement. It happens every year."

When asked what he'd do if police evict him and his wife (and SUV) from the Wisconsin Best Buy where they've lived for days, Andrews said, "I'll be back. We all will."