Consumer Boycotts

[Desertrose2023]

I posted the BDS list in the supporting Palestinian businesses thread and recent discussion on another thread re the backlash against Zara got me wondering how many others are participating in consumer boycotts linked to the conflict in Gaza (and the occupation in Palestine) or for different reasons.

there are a number of brands I’m boycotting usually for a mix of reasons, political, environmental and social. Interested to hear views from others.

Disclaimer: to avoid any misinterpretation or twisting of my words - I do not support any acts of violence or vandalism or boycotting based on religion/ethnicity.

all the ones on the BDS committee list

https://bdsmovement.net/

in addition to a few others (sample below)

Starbucks: overpriced shit coffee and they recently sued their union for tweeting in support/solidarity with Palestine.

Zara: I stopped buying stuff following the controversy of their head womenswear designer making disgusting anti-Palestinian comments. The reports of slave labour (Uyghurs and in Brazil) plus the recent tone deaf ad campaign was the final straw. Plus trying to be more conscious re reducing how much ‘fast fashion’ I buy anyway.

Nestle: a history of unethical corporate practices plus including ownership of an Israeli food company with production in OPT.

Boycotts of Starbucks have long preceded the current conflict. To argue it’s misguided and all about one tweet is simply reductive and untrue.

Desertrose in the OP of this thread you yourself said you were boycotting

"Starbucks: overpriced shit coffee and they recently sued their union for tweeting in support/solidarity with Palestine."

I guess you were being 'reductive'? And obviously misguided. They sued them for trademark infringement not tweeting support. And the sort of support they tweeted wasn't anything anyone would reasonably want to be associated with.

I’m not sure why you are so hung up on Starbucks. Have you got shares in them or something?

Someone's already tried that one, mate.

EasterIsland posted on this thread that people were losing their jobs over the Starbucks boycott, which prompted me to point out it was a stupid boycott. Then other people replied and we started having what is normally called a conversation or discussion.

to keep this thread on track, and as this movement is much much broader than one company, here’s an updated guide from BDS for those actually interested in this topic.

https://bdsmovement.net/Act-Now-Against-These-Companies-Profiting-From-Genocide

Here is another post from the Starbucks union, certainly in this case they don’t seem to be supporting violence, rather an end to apartheid.

@Desertrose2023 I suspect the fervent obsession and repeated focus on Starbucks is a distraction technique to remove focus from the many other usually sensible reasons to boycott lots of pro-apartheid and anti-Palestinian brands.

Here is another post from the Starbucks union

A different twitter account for a local branch. Not sure how it makes any difference to the one celebrating the 'Gaza Resistance'.

Copied from the BDS website (https://bdsmovement.net/Act-Now-Against-These-Companies-Profiting-From-Genocide) below, as I think it's relevant to the discussion:

Hewlett Packard Inc (HP Inc)

HP Inc (US) provides services to the offices of genocide leaders, Israeli PM Netanyahu and Financial Minister Smotrich. HPE, which shares the same brand, provides technology for Israel’s Population and Immigration Authority, a pillar of its apartheid regime.

Chevron (including Caltex and Texaco brands)

US fossil fuel multinational Chevron is the main corporation extracting gas claimed by apartheid Israel in the East Mediterranean. Chevron generates billions in revenues, strengthening Israel’s war chest and apartheid system, exacerbating the climate crisis and Gaza siege, and is complicit in depriving the Palestinian people of their right to sovereignty over their natural resources. Chevron has thousands of retail gas stations around the world under the Chevron, Caltex, and Texaco brand names.

Siemens

Siemens (Germany) is the main contractor for the Euro-Asia Interconnector, an Israel-EU submarine electricity cable that is planned to connect Israel’s illegal settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory to Europe. Siemens-branded electrical appliances are sold globally.

PUMA

Since 2018, we have called for a boycott of PUMA (Germany) due to its sponsorship of the Israel Football Association (IFA), which governs teams in Israel’s illegal settlements on occupied Palestinian land. In a major BDS win in December 2023, PUMA leaked news to the media that it will not be renewing its IFA contract when it expires in December 2024. Until then, it is still complicit, so we continue to #BoycottPUMA until it finally ends its complicity in apartheid.

Carrefour

Carrefour (France) is a genocide enabler. Carrefour-Israel has supported Israeli soldiers partaking in the unfolding genocide of Palestinians in Gaza with gifts of personal packages. In 2022, it entered a partnership with the Israeli company Electra Consumer Products and its subsidiary Yenot Bitan, both of which are involved in grave violations against the Palestinian people.

AXA

Insurance giant AXA (France) invests in Israeli banks financing war crimes and the theft of Palestinian land and natural resources. When Russia invaded Ukraine, AXA took targeted measures against it. Yet, Axa has taken no action against Israel, a 75-year-old regime of settler-colonialism and apartheid, despite its ongoing genocidal war on Gaza.

SodaStream

SodaStream is an Israeli company that is actively complicit in Israel's policy of displacing the indigenous Bedouin-Palestinian citizens of present-day Israel in the Naqab (Negev) and has a long history of racial discrimination against Palestinian workers.

Ahava

Ahava cosmetics is an Israeli company that has its production site, visitor center, and main store in an illegal Israeli settlement in the occupied Palestinian territory.

RE/MAX

RE/MAX (US) markets and sells property in illegal Israeli settlements built on stolen Palestinian land, thus enabling Israel’s colonization of the occupied West Bank.

Or it was a conversation on this thread involving a few different posters prompted by a post about the impact of the Starbucks boycott.

Conspiracy theorist much?

@noblegiraffe I disagree, please refrain from the personal attacks.

You disagree with me about why I'm posting about the Starbucks boycott?

🤷‍♀️I think I know my motives better than you.

I disagree with your personal attack suggesting I am a conspiracy theorist.

have a nice day.

Don't post what sounds like a conspiracy theory then?

I mean, on this thread I've already had the suggestion that
I support Israel
I have shares in Starbucks (twice)
I'm posting about Starbucks to detract attention from other less stupid boycotts.

@noblegiraffe given some posters' persistent and repeated posting about starbucks on this thread, going back some months now, the thread which the OP stated the focus was to look at the BDS movement as a whole (rather than just Starbucks, which is one small part, that isn't even an official BDS boycott, as you point out yourself) are you really surprised that I would come up with such a theory?

Only if your mind tends in that sort of direction I think.

For clarity: I have been posting about Starbucks because it is a stupid boycott and it offends me that so many people are falling for the stupid boycott.

The stupid boycott came up again on this thread in a post where someone seemed to be saying it was a good thing, which reminded me how stupid it is and then some people came on and tried to justify it...

And in responding to those posts I've had various accusations thrown at me including that I'm obsessed with Starbucks, and we're about on track to accuse me of shilling for Israel when I'm replying to people responding to my posts about Starbucks.

It's a wild ride.

@noblegiraffe

I've seen a lot of scapegoating of Starbucks and Zara, for example, to the point whereby threads like this are overtaken by people going on and on about how awful they are but refusing to look at the bigger real reasons behind BDS and then the real reasons for BDS don't get discussed.

I find it slightly baffling that you term that as a "conspiracy theory" when I am sure to most people on this thread it is obvious.

I won't respond again - last word battles are tedious.

and no I am not accusing you of shilling for Israel.

No, I'm sure you meant some entirely different reason for "distraction technique to remove focus from the many other usually sensible reasons to boycott lots of pro-apartheid and anti-Palestinian brands."

@noblegiraffe to get back to the point of the thread, would you like to comment on any of the brand boycotts I listed a few posts ago?

Sure, ok. I've looked up why I should boycott Disney and it says "The Disney-owned Marvel Studios (US) is promoting in the next Captain America film a “superhero” that personifies apartheid Israel"

Can you provide more info on this because it doesn't make any sense to me.

@noblegiraffe I didn't mention Disney.

Ok, it was a different poster. That quote is from the BDS website and you are keen to discuss the BDS movement and official BDS boycotts though, you can presumably still respond?

@noblegiraffe I don't personally know anything about that. Maybe refer to the BDS site if you're unsure why they are boycotting it?