Coca-Cola removes BLM donations from website due to Hamas support.
The Coca-Cola Company has quietly removed a mention on its website about donations to Black Lives Matter after the activist group expressed support for the Palestinian terror group Hamas. The deletion specifically refers to Sprite’s donations to Black Lives Matter. The removed sentence stated that Sprite had donated $500,000 to the Black Lives Matter Global Network to support voting education efforts and a program called Black Future Month, aimed at empowering the next generation of Black youths. This sentence can be found in an archived version of Coca-Cola’s “Taking A Stand” webpage from June, but it is no longer present in the current version of the page. At the top of the page, Coca-Cola states its commitment to racial equity and using its voice and reach to take a stand. Senator Ted Cruz brought attention to Coca-Cola’s edit in a recent post, demanding an apology from the company. The controversy arose after Black Lives Matter chapters expressed support for Palestinians, with some appearing to support Hamas directly. For example, Black Lives Matter Chicago posted an image of a paraglider with a Palestinian flag, along with the words “I stand with Palestine.” Hamas had used paragliders in the past to carry out attacks on Israeli communities. Black Lives Matter Chicago also shared a cartoon defending Palestinian resistance against Israeli settlers. Similarly, Black Lives Matter Los Angeles posted on Instagram that the Palestinians’ resistance should not be condemned, as it is seen as a desperate act of self-defense against decades of apartheid and violence. Despite the backlash, Black Lives Matter Los Angeles has not deleted their post.
How has the association between Black Lives Matter and Hamas impacted Coca-Cola’s decision to remove the mention of donations?
The Coca-Cola Company, a multinational beverage corporation, recently caused a stir when it quietly removed a mention on its website about donations to Black Lives Matter. The decision came after the activist group expressed its support for the Palestinian terror group, Hamas.
Specifically, the deletion referred to Sprite’s donations to Black Lives Matter. The removed sentence stated that Sprite had donated $500,000 to the Black Lives Matter Global Network, with the aim of supporting voting education efforts and a program called Black Future Month, which sought to empower the next generation of Black youths. Although this sentence could be found in an archived version of Coca-Cola’s “Taking a Stand” webpage from June, it is no longer present in the current version of the page.
At the top of the page, Coca-Cola boldly states its commitment to racial equity and its determination to use its voice and reach to take a stand. However, Senator Ted Cruz drew attention to the company’s edit in a recent post, demanding an apology from Coca-Cola. The controversy arose after several Black Lives Matter chapters expressed their support for Palestinians, with some seemingly endorsing Hamas directly.
For instance, Black Lives Matter Chicago posted an image of a paraglider holding a Palestinian flag, accompanied by the words “I stand with Palestine.” This is noteworthy because Hamas has used paragliders in the past to carry out attacks on Israeli communities. Furthermore, Black Lives Matter Chicago shared a cartoon defending Palestinian resistance against Israeli settlers.
Similarly, Black Lives Matter Los Angeles took to Instagram and stated that the Palestinians’ resistance should not be condemned as it is perceived as a desperate act of self-defense against decades of apartheid and violence. Despite facing backlash, Black Lives Matter Los Angeles has chosen not to delete their post.
The association between Black Lives Matter and Hamas has sparked a wave of controversy and led to the removal of Sprite’s donations to the activist group from Coca-Cola’s website. While it is unclear whether this decision is directly linked to the support expressed by some Black Lives Matter chapters for Hamas, it is evident that Coca-Cola wishes to distance itself from any affiliation with a terror group.
Coca-Cola’s choice to delete the sentence regarding Sprite’s donations has reignited the ongoing debate around corporate involvement in political and social issues. Critics argue that companies should remain neutral and refrain from engaging in contentious topics, while others believe that corporations have a responsibility to use their platforms to address systemic injustices and promote positive social change.
As the discussion unfolds, it remains to be seen whether Coca-Cola will address the controversy and provide further clarification on its decision. Regardless, this incident serves as a reminder that the support expressed by individual chapters of an organization does not necessarily represent the views of the entire movement.
In a highly polarized world, where issues like the Israeli-Palestinian conflict are rife with complexity, the intersection of corporate donations and political affiliations can be a challenging and nuanced terrain to navigate. Ultimately, these incidents prompt us to reflect on the power and influence of corporations in shaping public discourse and the responsibility they bear in upholding their stated commitments to social equality and justice.
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