Capitalism unhinged: Black Friday sales hit the US (VIDEOS)
A mock Thanksgiving day dinner table is set with photos of Walmart workers who, according to protest organizers, had to work on Thanksgiving day, during a demonstration outside a Walmart in the Crenshaw district of Los Angeles on Black Friday, November 29, 2013.
The biggest shopping day in the United States, Black Friday, got off to an early start Thursday evening with bargain hunters lining up for hours for malls and chain stores across the country.
Though most of the shopping went off without a hitch, the media focus was on several incidents of violence (some caught on camera) that marred the consumerist frenzy.
Police shot an alleged shoplifter in Chicago, while a shoplifter shot a shopper in Las Vegas.
YouTube videos of mobs of shoppers fighting over electronics began to surface as early as Thursday evening.
For instance this scene from a Wal-Mart that GlobalPost cannot independently verify:
Another incident in Philadelphia's Franklin Mills Mall led to one woman using a stun gun on another woman.
"It started out, one couple was fighting with another couple. They had words, the guys got into a fight and then the girls," said Mike Napolitano, who recorded the brawl. "One couple, they were like a family and all, with a young child in a stroller."
Mall security confirmed the fight and said both women were escorted out of the mall.
Other incidents of Black Friday violence included a stabbing over a Wal-Mart parking space, a man pepper sprayed by police after getting into an argument with a Wal-Mart manager and a police officer shooting a man driving a car that was dragging another officer underneath it.
There was also controversy this year over early opening times for stores like Wal-Mart across the country.
Many major chains decided to let shoppers in by Thursday evening, meaning that retail workers would miss time with their families.
The earlier opening hours also meant consumers would be tempted to skip quality time at home to line up for bargain prices.
Black Friday was also met with protests at local Wal-Markets around the country, with demonstrators demanding higher wages for employees.
Despite the fighting and the controversy, retail sales are supposed to be up this year compared to last, though sales could come at the expense of profits with retailers slashing prices to attract shoppers.
American Thanksgiving is always on the fourth Thursday in November.
The day after that Thursday is known as Black Friday because it marked the time of year when retailers began making a profit, moving out of the red and into the black.