A nationwide boycott targeting fast-food giant McDonald’s commenced on June 24, 2025, and is slated to run through June 30, 2025. Organized by The People’s Union USA, this action is part of their ongoing “Economic Blackout Tour,” aiming to hold major corporations accountable for various alleged misdeeds. The boycott comes at a challenging time for McDonald’s, which recently reported a significant decline in U.S. sales.
The primary catalyst for the boycott, according to The People’s Union USA, is McDonald’s’ decision to roll back its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives. In January 2025, the company reportedly ceased setting “aspirational representational goals” for diversity in senior leadership and ended a program designed to encourage diversity among its suppliers. While McDonald’s Chief People Officer for the U.S. market, Jordann Nunn, stated in June that the company merely changed some DEI language and that its core programming remains intact, activists view these changes as a step backward (USA TODAY, Fox Business).
Beyond the DEI rollbacks, The People’s Union USA, a grassroots movement focused on “economic resistance, corporate accountability, and real justice for the working class,” has leveled a series of broader accusations against McDonald’s. John Schwarz, the founder of the organization, stated that the boycott is because McDonald’s has “shown time and time again that profit matters more than people.” Specific grievances detailed by Schwarz include allegations of tax evasion, price gouging while wages remain low, suppression of workers’ rights and union efforts, support for political figures perceived as threatening democracy, and engaging in “performative DEI with no meaningful change” (Hindustan Times, Democrat and Chronicle).
The “Economic Blackout Tour” initiated by The People’s Union USA in February 2025 has previously targeted other major retailers like Target and Walmart. The group encourages consumers to avoid shopping, streaming, online orders, and fast food, instead urging support for small, local businesses during their designated boycott periods (Hindustan Times).
The boycott coincides with a period of financial struggle for McDonald’s. The company reported a sharp decline in U.S. sales in the first quarter of 2025, marking the largest drop in its home market since the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Overall global sales were down 1%, with sales among lower-income American consumers dropping by “double digits.” McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski acknowledged that consumers were “grappling with uncertainty” but expressed optimism about navigating tough market conditions (USA TODAY, Fox Business). The company has not yet issued a public response to this specific boycott.
The broader landscape of corporate DEI initiatives has become a contentious issue, particularly following former President Donald Trump’s executive orders targeting “illegal DEI” in the federal government and private sector. Companies like Target have also cited consumer backlash related to DEI policy changes as a factor contributing to sales slumps and declining foot traffic (USA TODAY, Fox Business).
The People’s Union USA has outlined further boycotts throughout the summer of 2025. These include a nationwide “Economic Blackout” on July 4, a month-long boycott of Starbucks, Amazon, and Home Depot from July 1-31, and another boycott targeting Walmart, McDonald’s, and Lowe’s from August 1-31 (Hindustan Times, Democrat and Chronicle). It is important to note that this boycott by The People’s Union USA is distinct from a separate, ongoing boycott against McDonald’s since late 2023, spearheaded by the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement, which supports Palestine and alleges the company’s involvement in Israeli military operations (Hindustan Times).
As the boycott unfolds, its impact on McDonald’s’ bottom line and corporate policies remains to be seen. However, it underscores a growing trend of consumer activism leveraging economic pressure to demand corporate accountability and social change.
