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Spanish.- The boycott against Western brands began late last year, and there are no signs of it ending anytime soon. On the contrary, the call from pro-Palestinian activists to boycott products from chains like McDonald’s or Starbucks is hitting companies’ wallets. Only the latter announced over 2000 layoffs at its branches in the Middle East and North Africa.
This is not merely a commercial issue; consumers tie it to an identity factor depending on their political and ideological stance regarding the Gaza war. Reports suggest that the boycott campaign is globally led by youth, leading to internet tools emerging to target brands more effectively.
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This includes mobile applications or Google Chrome extensions like “Palestine Pact,” which provides a list of products advertised by manufacturers supposedly in favor of Israel. In Kuwait, a country located in the Middle East, there is a strong anti-Israeli sentiment that even led McDonald’s in that country to pledge “over $160,000 for aid efforts in Gaza,” according to a report by TRT World.
Consumers vs. Fast-Food Chains
As the conflict in the Gaza Strip escalates, with no immediate solution to the clashes between Hamas terrorists and the Israeli army, things seem to be getting more complicated. The rebels withdrew from Egypt on Wednesday after sitting at a negotiation table attended by the government of that country, along with Qatar and the United States. The Israeli delegation did not attend due to the Islamic group’s refusal to provide a list of live hostages, according to the EFE agency.
While the leaders of each side attempt to reach an agreement, civilians are waging their own war in fast-food chains. Days ago, a pro-Palestinian group protested outside the Starbucks on Juarez Avenue in downtown Mexico City, and in February, activists vandalized a McDonald’s ad in Madrid. Further away, in Bahrain, people are boycotting other Western brands like KFC and Carrefour, claiming it demonstrates “solidarity with the Palestinians.” The ripple effect is such that McDonald’s in Qatar also pledged $275,000 for Gaza.
For now, the Alshaya group, based in Kuwait and owner of franchise rights for Western companies like H&M and The Cheesecake Factory, is opting for job cuts at Starbucks “as a result of continuously challenging business conditions over the past six months.”
The layoffs represent just over 10% of their workforce, as the group employs around 19,000 people in about 1900 coffee shop branches in countries like the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Bahrain, Morocco, and Oman. The starting point for all this strife was the lawsuit filed by the chain against Starbucks Workers United to prevent the union group from using its name after tweeting “solidarity with Palestine.”
Ahora en Madrid 👇 👇
“McGenocidio”: intervienen una lona gigante para pedir el boicot a McDonald’s
⚫️ #Boicot
🔴 #Desinversiones
🟢 #Sanciones
https://t.co/iroMab58vS… vía @elsaltodiario pic.twitter.com/5KMcEHX1D1— DesarmaMadrid (@DesarmaMadrid) February 18, 2024
