Police in riot gear arrested at least 17 protesters who sat down in the middle of a road leading to a Wal-Mart warehouse in Elwood, Illinois, on Monday in a bid to support striking workers. The arrests were made after some 600 people sang, chanted and marched toward the warehouse, which is run by a contractor but supplies Wal-Mart stores. Warehouse workers went on strike more than two weeks ago amidst allegations of sexual harassment, dangerous working conditions, unpaid wages and retaliation against organizers. Managers reportedly fired several leaders and threatened others after they delivered a petition. The strike in Illinois follows another strike by some three dozen workers at a Wal-Mart supply warehouse in Southern California who have also pushed for fairer workplace conditions.
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