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The teacher claims that she pre cleared this gathering with manager “Frank”. Frank was gone or never existed when she went back with the students on 9/11. She did not go into the store and re-introduce herself; she simply brought in all of the students. When they assembled in the parking lot (still walmart property) after their ouster from the store, the manager treated them like a flash mob which is seems that walmart has a policy in place to handle.

Children are always a handy prop. But from where I sit it seems like just maybe a (union)teacher used them to embarass a non union company on an emotionally charged day. But that is just my take on it.

I think you make some very good points. Just because Wal-Mart is a “public” company in that the general “public” is welcome to come shop there, it is not in any way a “public” space as in a space that is owned by the “public” to be used as a “public” space, a “public square” as it were – it’s still private property. Wal-Mart or “Average Joe’s Pizza Shop” for that matter are in the business to do business – to make money and it’s well within their rights to refuse entry and access to anyone or any group for any reason at any time if that group distracts them from their primary purpose of doing business and at their discretion.

Even if this group had prior permission, it would have been a common curtsey and common sense to re-confirm that they still had permission and to at the very least let the manager on duty know that they were there and what they were going to do and why, giving the manager on duty some documentation that they had gotten prior permission.

This whole “flash mob” thing has, IMO gotten way out of hand. Even if the “flash mob” is doing something I would absolutely support in my place of business, like a 9-11 tribute or Christmas Caroling, or a sappy marriage proposal flash mob, just showing up unannounced and or taking over a place or business or my place of business without engaging me or my manager on duty first, would be IMO, just plain rude and it is IMO trespassing without permission.

I’ve been involved in several not for profit groups BTW and we’ve gone to stores to ask and have been granted permission to set up in front of their stores or on in their parking lots for fund raising – cookie sales (Girl Scouts) - popcorn sales (Boy Scouts)– car washes (High School Bands) for instance. But I’ve always made sure to, even if we had prior “permission” from the owner or the general manager, to introduce myself to the manager on duty first, before setting up, letting him or her know that I and my group was here and why and making sure that our presence was still supported and OK.

You would think that the person in charge who gave us permission in the first place would have communicated this, but as I’ve learned all too often – never assume anything. It would only take a few minutes to introduce myself and my group to the manager in charge, smile and smooze a little first, make sure that there wasn’t any miscommunication and if there was, resolve it or just come back another day. And if the manager on duty treated us poorly, acted like a d!ck, I’d let the owner or general manager know, but I wouldn’t set up where I was told I and my group was not welcome, especially where kids are involved.

You sir (Or lady) are just about perfect,that is, if you were in China or Russia etc.
Things seem to have changed! In my 78+ years all of a sudden public places have become private! Now they use selective enforcement to all and reject that which pleases them.
If they are private property, then let us be selective and not do our business with their elite private business!

As far as I’m concerned, I’m going to assume free speech is allowed in a place of business until the owners tell me otherwise. The idea that singing is “trespassing” is ludicrous. Lighten up. It’s also totally different from you selling a product on store property. Warnings against solicitation on store property are typically posted. I haven’t seen any warning signs against singing yet. Yes, they can ask you to leave at anytime for any reason, and if you don’t comply it’s trespassing, but until that happens, I’m going to feel free to sing in the store.