David Vargas worked for Walmart for two years before quitting because "it was too much." Charlie Magovern/Neon Tommy

The rally was one of many across the country sparked by 60 employees who claimed they were fired as punishment for striking against the company. 

“We’re here to call on the reinstatement of the Walmart workers that were retaliated on for speaking out,” said Anthony Goytia, who worked at the Duarte Walmart and spoke to the crowd before they marched. “We have the right to stand up to our employers and say that they’re not treating us right. Walmart, you’re not treating us right.”

The group then marched to the gates of Chinatown on Cesar Chavez Avenue, stopping along the way for additional speeches. Once at the gates, demonstrators sat on the road in protest against the opening of a new Walmart nearby.

Walmart spokesman Dan Fogleman claimed the demonstrations, despite the attendance of Walmart employees, were not an accurate representation of the company’s workforce.

“Walmart will continue to serve our customers in more than 4,600 locations today,” he said. “A handful of union-orchestrated media stunts made up of primarily union members and activists don’t represent the views of the vast majority of the 1.3 million associates who work for Walmart.”

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