ANALYSIS | The Story Behind the Boycotts of Major Brands
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Consumers in Canada are engaging in boycotts of various businesses viewed as supporting Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip. Boycotts have been a very popular method of people protesting against organizations they disagree with. Boycotting means to avoid purchasing from and supporting certain companies, countries, and people whose policies the customer disagrees with. People taking part in a boycott will try to opt out of any social relations or business transactions with the boycotted organization.
Historically, boycotts have often been very successful at making change. The well-known Montgomery Bus Boycott was carried out in Alabama after Rosa Parks was arrested and fined for not giving up her seat to a white man. It was from Dec. 5, 1955 to Dec. 20, 1956. During the boycott, African Americans refused to ride the bus at all for over a year until the US Supreme court ordered Montgomery to integrate their bus system. Other historical boycotts have occurred on a global scale, such as the Anti-Apartheid Movement against South Africa from 1959 to 1993, where consumers around the world boycotted goods imported from the country.
Many Palestinians, as well as those standing in solidarity, have been calling for boycotts of companies with ties to Israel so as to stop as much money as possible going towards the country. Activists hope this will pressure the Israeli government to end its bombing and ground invasions of Gaza. The protest also aims to urge the world’s governments to call for a complete ceasefire in Gaza and stop sending military and financial support to Israel. “I made a promise to myself to do everything in my power to be a voice for my people and to spread as much awareness as I can,” said Abraar Alsiwadi, a woman in the Palestinian community in Edmonton who has chosen to boycott Starbucks, according to CTV News.
Since 2005, the Boycott, Divestment, Sanction movement (BDS) has been curating a list of proposed boycotts against Israeli brands. Longtime companies on the list include well-known brands like Puma, HP, and Sodastream. These companies are on the list due to investment or funding taking place in Israel, which the BDS movement has been calling for consumers to avoid.
Since the Hamas strike on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, online conflict between pro-Israel and pro-Palestine organizations has increased dramatically. Due to the Israeli government’s violence in Gaza, which has led to the deaths of over 30,000 Palestinians, boycott organizations such as BDS have created lists of companies that have spoken in support of or have financial ties with Israel. Companies that have recently been added to the list include food brands from Starbucks, McDonald’s, and Domino's, to clothing brands like Dior, Zara, and Louis Vuitton. Even companies like Amazon and Airbnb have faced calls for boycotts.
The widespread calls for boycotts have significantly impacted some businesses. Starbucks lost $11 billion in market value in December of 2023, though it is arguable whether boycotts are a major factor. Starbucks was placed on the boycott list after discord between the company and the union, Starbucks Workers United in October 2023. Starbucks took issue with a pro-Palestinian post on the union’s social media that expressed “solidarity with Palestine” on Oct. 9, 2023. The post was taken down after 40 minutes on the site. Starbucks management then sued Starbucks Workers United, asking them to cease using the Starbucks name and a similar logo. The union, who responded by filing another lawsuit, contended that the tweet was posted without authorization from union leaders. “Starbucks unequivocally condemns acts of hate, terrorism and violence,” wrote Sara Kelly, Executive Vice President of Starbucks.
Vox stated that the loss in value for Starbucks was most likely due to decreased foot traffic and December being a slow month in 2023. Sara Senatore, senior research analyst at Bank of America, said, “I don’t think it’s the protests that are driving this.”
In response to these boycotts, some countries have discussed passing anti-boycott policies. In the United States, a set of anti-boycott laws have been enacted to block US companies from following boycotts that the US government does not support. These policies were put in place to prevent US businesses from taking part in or supporting the Arab League’s boycott of Israel.
Social media has played a crucial role in the organization of boycott movements. Palestinian journalists such as Bisan Owda, Motaz Azaiza, and Wael Al-Dahdouh have been documenting the situation in Gaza from the inside, garnering millions of followers on services such as Instagram and bringing attention to the situation.