Photos: Walmart Rally in Chinatown Attracts Thousands

Led by notable Angeleno musicians Tom Morello and Ben Harper, thousands of protesters marched on Chinatown Saturday to protest the proposed construction of a Walmart department and grocery store.

The Los Angeles City Council passed a ban on larger retailers in the area, but not before Walmart had pulled its construction permits. Those permits are now on appeal, although construction began this week.

Critics say the new store will change the character of the historic community, threaten small businesses and make low-wage, non-union jobs the standard.

Silver Lake residents Kristin Bedford was there (with Josh Kamensky) and sent us the above photos.

Click through to read more on the Huffington Post:Los Angeles.

The event was part of a weekend of activities, including a concert Friday night in Chinatown gallery Human Resources.

It was headlined by local punk revivalists No Age, whose music is actually sold in Walmart through Sub Pop, according to the LA Weekly.

And see Kristin Bedford's IndieGoGo campaign here.  As previously reported,she is .

Got your own photos of this weekend's activities? Share them here.