Do boycotts work?

There are plenty of really powerful examples of boycotts, driven by consumer behaviour, that have been very successful. The Montgomery Bus boycott, sparked by Rosa Parks in the 50s, was a major catalyst for the Civil Rights Movements, which ultimately led to the desegregation of the city's bus system. The Indian boycott of British goods significantly weakened British rule during the Swadeshi Movement. The anti-apartheid boycotts were a global movement to pressure the South African government to end the system of apartheid, which isolated South Africa internationally and weakened its economy and political system. It is widely seen as a significant factor in pressuring the South African government to dismantle apartheid and negotiate a new political system.

Sources: The Globe and Mail, Civil Rights Movement Archive, the Guardian

What should you boycott?

Goods are soon to be banned by the Occupied Territories bill. In the meantime, learn more about avoiding them in your local supermarkets here.

Let's also boycott companies that are profiting from the current genocide and colonisation of Palestine. The UN Report "From Economy of Occupation to Economy of Genocide" gives an in-depth look at the corporations maintaining Israel's colonial project. The Report reveals clearly: "[Israel's] forever-occupation has become the ideal testing ground for arms manufacturers and Big Tech – providing boundless supply and demand, little oversight, and zero accountability – while investors and private and public institutions profit freely. Too many influential corporate entities remain inextricably financially bound to Israel’s apartheid and militarism." The image below details the companies named in the report. Source: Al Jazeerah

We call on Greystonians to boycott AirBnb and booking.com for the summer holidays. Rental platforms Booking and Airbnb aid illegal settlements, benefit settlers on stolen land financially and encourage further theft of Palestinian land by listing properties and hotel rooms in Israeli-occupied territory.  

Additionally, we encourage you to shop local and boycott Amazon. "In March 2021, Google, along with Amazon, signed a $1.2bn contract for cloud computing services for the Israeli government and defence establishment. The two companies provide Israel with the capacity to store, process and analyse data, including facial recognition, emotion recognition, biometrics and demographic information in what is known as Project Nimbus." Source: Al Jazeerah. 

If you are a business owner, consider exploring and using alternatives to Google and Microsoft. Learn more here: Business & Human Rights Resource Centre

Ultimately, we have to ask ourselves: is the convenience we enjoy worth the harm it creates?