> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.smdp.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Hundreds march in effort to boycott Forever 21 retailer - URL: https://www.smdp.com/hundreds-march-in-effort-to-boycott-forever-21-retailer/ - Published: 2002-03-11T16:00:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-23T00:06:57.000Z - Author: Carolyn Sackariason - Tags: Business, Santa Monica, #archive-import *Forever 21 wins federal case; files defamation lawsuit* Hundreds of protesters hit the streets of Santa Monica Sunday asking consumers to join them in boycotting a local clothing store. Forever 21, a retailer of women’s and junior’s clothing, which has one of its 100 stores in the Santa Monica Place shopping mall, has been accused by 19 Latino garment workers and hundreds of their supporters that the clothier provided sweatshop conditions in six Los Angeles factories. The workers, both legal and illegal immigrants, claim they were paid less than minimum wage, weren’t paid for overtime and worked in unhealthy conditions. The Garment Worker Center, which is an independent Los Angles-based nonprofit organization, enlisted politicians, university students and others to boycott Forever 21 since the effort began last fall. One of them is Santa Monica Mayor Pro Tem Kevin McKeown, who was part of Sunday’s protest that was intended to send a message to consumers. “I understand wearing something pretty but not by supporting something ugly and what’s been done to these workers is ugly,” he shouted at the end of the protest where a rally was held at Wilshire Boulevard and Ocean Avenue. “Don’t buy based on greed.” The garment workers launched a national boycott against Forever 21 on Nov. 17\. Since then, people have conducted weekly pickets against the company. After months of settlement negotiations, the workers filed a lawsuit against Forever 21 with the help of Asian Pacific American Legal Center in an attempt to have the Los Angeles-based company pay them their owed wages and to ensure that all factories it uses abide by labor laws. Last Monday, a federal court judge dismissed the workers’ suit. The Garment Worker Center plans to appeal the decision. This past Wednesday, Forever 21 filed defamation suits against the workers, the Garment Worker Center, the Coalition of Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles and Sweatshop Watch, claiming the protests are damaging its reputation. “We have no way of redeeming ourselves and we want apologizes,” said Forever 21 spokesman Chris Lee. “Our objective is not about money — we want our name back.” Lee said the sweatshop claims are meritless. The workers were employed by subcontractors who were hired from the manufacturers who make the clothing his company buys and then sells to the consumer. “The federal court said we are not liable,” Lee said. “(The Garment Worker Center’s) cause is great but I wouldn’t want to volunteer for an organization that doesn’t get all the facts. “I don’t know what is wrong with these people,” Lee continued. “Are these people idiots?” McKeown said Forever 21’s argument that the subcontractors are responsible for poor working conditions and low pay is bogus. Santa Monica recently passed a law that requires local grocery stores to make sure their janitorial staff are properly permitted and are treated fairly after city officials learned some stores were underpaying their clean-up crews. The Forever 21 situation is no different, McKeown said, adding a business should know who is working for it, regardless if there is a subcontractor serving as the middleman. The protest, which was highly organized with police officers and people on hand to find former workers so they could be interviewed by the press, began in front of Santa Monica Place, continued down a crowded Third Street Promenade and ended at Palisades Park. Hundreds of people had picket signs and shouted orchestrated mottos like “Forever 21, you are no good. Pay your workers like you should,” and “Hey, hey, ho, sweatshop labor has to go.” Erika Contreras, 22, who sewed clothes for Forever 21 for 1 1/2 years, said she was told she would get $230 for working about 58 hours a week. Not knowing there was better conditions available to her, the Los Angeles resident continued to work for Forever 21. A friend told her about the Garment Worker Center and she made her story public. She also got a new job at another garment factory where she is paid minimum wage by the hour and $10 an hour for overtime. Garment Worker Center spokeswoman Kimi Lee said the organization opened a hotline three or four months ago for garment workers to air their grievances. Lee said a few people from several different factories throughout Los Angeles came forward with the same claims about Forever 21\. She said they didn’t know each other and came forward individually. There are 140,000 garment workers in Los Angeles, making it the largest city in the country for clothing production. Forever 21, owned by Los Angeles residents Do Won Chang and Jin Sook Chang, employ 5,500 workers nationwide. The couple has been picketed by protesters outside their home for months. “They’ve even gotten death threats,” Forever 21’s Lee said. “We don’t spend a dime on advertising and they took our name and drove it into the ground, telling everybody that we are scumbags and that’s just not right.” ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/55/9f/559f9abc-8372-4a2e-8c2d-27386da4e363/content/images/2026/10/031102-01_01.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/55/9f/559f9abc-8372-4a2e-8c2d-27386da4e363/content/images/2026/10/031102-01_02.jpg) Protesters line up along Broadway Avenue in front of Santa Monica Place to boycott Forever 21, a retailer accused of sweatshop labor practices. (Photo: Carolyn Sackariason/Daily Press) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/55/9f/559f9abc-8372-4a2e-8c2d-27386da4e363/content/images/2026/10/031102-01_03.jpg) Erika Contreras used to work for Forever 21 sewing clothes for the Los Angeles-based retailer. (Photo: Carolyn Sackariason/Daily Press) *Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on March 11, 2002.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/031102.pdf?ref=smdp.com)