Judge turns down effort to halt Walmart construction in Chinatown

This seemed like a longshot - a coalition of community and union groups tried to get a restraining order on construction of the Walmart grocery, despite the retailer having all the necessary permits and approvals. Opponents say that the store will endanger the neighborhood's character and create financial hardships for smaller merchants. They also say that Walmart failed to provide the required public notices. They sound like thin arguments. Does anyone believe this would be happening if the name of the store were anything other than Walmart? At a hearing this morning, Judge James Chalfant said that the construction isn't causing irreparable harm to the environment (h/t KPCC). This isn't the end of it - a court hearing will be held in November on the project. For now, construction carries on.