A weeklong boycott of McDonald’s begins today, promoted by the same organization behind this year’s “economic blackouts” and other protests.
The People’s Union USA, a grassroots advocacy group, has previously called for boycotts on large corporations, including a Walmart boycott from May 20-26. Earlier this month from June 3-9, group founder John Schwarz called for consumers to “take the week to spread the word” on a “permanent boycott” of Target.
Now, the People’s Union takes aim at fast food giant McDonald’s, a chain listed on the group’s consumer awareness webpage for “tax avoidance and known lobbying against wage increases.”
Here’s what North Carolina consumers should know about the boycott.
When is the McDonald’s boycott?
The People’s Union USA McDonald’s boycott is planned for June 24-30.
Why is McDonald’s being boycotted? McDonald’s controversy
Schwarz highlighted motivations behind the boycott in a June 19 Instagram post, including “supporting political figures who threaten democracy,” “practicing performative DEI with no meaningful change,” and “prioritizing profit over people, community and truth.”
“No McDonald’s, no fries, no Big Macs — nothing for seven days and tell everyone you know to tell everyone they know cause every time we say no, every time we don’t pull into a drive-thru we are banging on the doors of corporate America and reminding them that we are watching them, we are organized and we are not stopping,” said Schwarz in an Instagram reel.
McDonald’s also appears on the People’s Union list of corporations labeled as having practiced “exploitation, price gouging, or unethical practices,” specifically accusing the corporation of “tax avoidance and known lobbying against wage increases.”
Outside of the June boycott, the McDonald’s brand is no stranger to backlash, including public dissent the corporation received in January when it rolled back its DEI initiatives, citing an “evolving landscape around DEI.”
Boycotts in 2025: Starbucks boycott, Lowe’s boycott and more
Schwarz also shared a flyer on social media that lists upcoming boycotts against Starbucks, Amazon, Home Depot, Walmart and Lowe’s. Dates include:
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July 4: Economic blackout.
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July 1-31: Boycott of Starbucks, Amazon and Home Depot.
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Aug. 1-31: Boycott of Walmart, McDonald’s and Lowe’s.
How many McDonald’s stores are there in North Carolina? In the U.S.?
According to data company ScrapeHero, McDonald’s has over 13,637 locations in the U.S., including 476 in N.C. The nine McDonald’s locations in Asheville include:
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343 New Leicester Highway
Iris Seaton is the trending news reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at iseaton@citizentimes.com.
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Why is there a McDonald’s boycott? What NC consumers should know