There is a planned boycott of Target, Amazon, Walmart and more on Feb. 28. Here's why.
- Various groups have been calling for widespread boycotts to protest corporations who are following President Donald Trump’s lead in rolling back DEI initiatives.
- An economic blackout is being called for on Feb. 28 where consumers are encouraged to refrain from spending any money.
- There are also separate boycotts happening against retailers like Target and Coca-Cola.
Various groups have been calling for widespread boycotts to protest corporations who are following President Donald Trump’s lead in rolling back diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
One boycott is an “economic blackout” proposed for Feb. 28. On that day, consumers have been encouraged to refrain from spending any money in stores or online.
A group called The People’s Union is one of the groups behind the Feb. 28 blackout campaign, which has spread over social media.
“The economic blackout is about getting people together, up off the couch, so to speak, to do something together," said founder John Schwarz in a Feb. 12 interview with Paste BN.
What is the economic blackout?
The “economic blackout” is a proposed 24-hour boycott on Feb. 28.
Under the Instagram handle “TheOneCalledJai,” Schwarz said in a video that the blackout is to “remind them who has the power.”
“For one day, we turn it off for one day. We shut it down for one day. We remind them that this country does not belong to the elite, it belongs to the people, and this will work,” Schwarz said. "If enough of us participate, they will feel it and if they don't listen, we escalate."
What does the group want people to boycott?
The People’s Union directs people to not make any purchases at all on Feb. 28, and especially not from any major retailers. Their website specifically mentions Amazon, Walmart, and BestBuy.
If there is an emergency or needed essentials, consumers are encouraged to support a local small business instead.
Other boycotts: Target, Coca-Cola, Amazon
The People’s Union has also announced boycotts against Amazon, Nestle, and Walmart to happen in the months ahead, and other groups are encouraging boycotts throughout the country.
Civil rights activists in Minnesota are asking consumers not to shop at Target after the Minneapolis-based retailer decided to phase out DEI initiatives, a move civil rights attorney Nekima Levy Armstrong called “a slap in the face.”
Another Target boycott, called the “Target fast,” encourages people to not spend any money at Target during Lent and sell any Target stock they own because of the company's DEI retreat.
And the Latino Freeze Movement is calling on the Latino community to be “selective” in where they shop in response to the rollback on DEI policies. They named more than a dozen companies to not purchase from, including Coca-Cola.