Moms Protest Toys "R" Us and Toxic Greed

Special flashback bonus video: Protesters took to the streets of Southampton last month to ask residents there to rally for more tax breaks for one of their neighbors: buyout king Henry Kravis. On Monday, protesters rallied outside of Toys "R" Us, which is partly owned by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts, Kravis' private equity firm.

Parents, child safety advocates, and activists protested in front of the West 57th Street headquarters of Kohlberg Kravis Roberts, which owns part of Toys "R" Us, to call on the buyout firm to adopt a strict code of conduct for its suppliers to ensure that more toys tainted with lead paint do not wind up on store shelves.

"With all the dangers that parents must protect their children from today, we cannot add to that the additional worry of whether toys are safe," Congresswoman Nydia M. Velázquez, (D-NY) said in a statement. "It is crucial that parents feel confident when buying products for their kids, and KKR must take ultimate responsibility for the quality of merchandise sold in their stores. Anything less is completely unacceptable."

Chanting "Toys "R" Toxic", the demonstrators said buyout firms, such as KKR, need to put safety before profits and take measures to ensure that tainted toys don't wind up on store shelves as they did throughout the summer.

The coalition, which includes the Center For Environmental Health, the Service Employees International Union, ACORN, Greenpeace, and the Working Families Party among other noted that: