People’s Union Calls for Economic Blackout Friday

The People’s Union USA is rallying Americans to stop spending this Friday in a bold protest dubbed an economic blackout. The group aims to hit billionaire tycoons and corporate giants where it hurts most their profits. AP reports this push seeks to counter growing wealth gaps and unchecked corporate sway over daily life.

Organizers urge a full day of no purchases from gas to groceries to flex collective muscle. They point to soaring CEO pay and tax breaks for the ultra-rich as sparks for this uprising. The blackout hopes to jolt a system they say favors the elite over working families.

The idea draws from past boycotts but scales up to a nationwide halt. Union leaders argue a single day of empty stores could rattle boardrooms and force a reckoning. Skeptics wonder if enough people will join to make a dent in corporate earnings.

Economic inequality has widened with the top 1 percent hoarding more wealth than ever. The People’s Union ties this to lobbying that drowns out regular voices in Washington. Friday’s action aims to reclaim power by starving the cash flow of big business.

Similar efforts have popped up globally like France’s yellow vest marches against unfair policies. Here the focus is less on street protests and more on wallets staying shut. Organizers say it’s a peaceful way to demand fairer wages and taxes.

Corporate giants like Amazon and Walmart stand to lose if turnout is high. Small businesses caught in the crossfire worry about collateral damage to their thin margins. The Union insists the real target is the billionaire class not local shops.

Economists debate whether one day can shift entrenched power dynamics. Some see it as a symbolic cry unlikely to change corporate behavior overnight. Others warn underestimating public frustration could prove costly for those at the top.

The blackout taps into anger over a system many feel is rigged. Whether it flops or flares it highlights a hunger for bold moves against wealth concentration. Friday will test if Americans are ready to wield their spending power as a weapon.