Newsweek has contacted Schwarz via email for comment on the upcoming action.<\/p>\n
Why It Matters<\/p>\n
Multiple boycotts of major corporations have taken place this year, many of which have been led by Schwarz and The People’s Union USA. These have been driven by backlash against certain companies amending or scaling back their commitments to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies, but also a wider groundswell of anti-corporate sentiment.<\/p>\n
While experts generally agree that such grassroots campaigns cannot significantly alter corporate behavior, some of the targeted companies have acknowledged the effects of these actions on their reputation and bottom line.<\/p>\n
What To Know<\/p>\n
The People’s Union is a grassroots advocacy organization, unaffiliated with any political party, that is committed to “economic resistance, corporate accountability, and real justice for the working class.”<\/p>\n
The latest boycott call is part of the group’s ongoing “Economic Blackout Tour,” in which corporations have been targeted for price gouging, alleged mistreatment of their workers, tax avoidance and general unethical practices.<\/p>\n
In addition to these episodic and nationwide “blackouts,” the last of which took place in April<\/a>, The People’s Union has orchestrated several direct boycotts of major American brands including Target<\/a>, McDonald’s<\/a> and Walmart<\/a>.<\/p>\n The group has already called for a “summer boycott<\/a>” of the latter two, as well as home improvement retailer Lowe’s, set to run for the entirety of August.<\/p>\n During past “economic blackouts,” the group has urged shoppers to “avoid shopping, streaming, online orders, fast food, and everything in between.” If a purchase is essential, then shoppers are encouraged to support only small, local businesses.<\/p>\n However, in his latest call for a nationwide blackout, Schwarz said that the objectives had expanded beyond a purely economic protest to encompass a more general expression of frustration from ordinary Americans.<\/p>\n “Don’t shop anywhere,” John Schwarz wrote in an Instagram post<\/a> in late July.<\/p>\n “Organize a protest at your Town Hall, State Capitol or Main St. USA. Take off work. Close your businesses for the day. Take your pick! It’s up to us!”<\/p>\n What People Are Saying<\/p>\n John Schwarz, founder of The People’s Union USA, previously told Newsweek<\/a>: “The People’s Union USA stands for the growing number of Americans done tolerating corporate greed, inequality, and empty promises.”<\/p>\n “This is it. This is the day. Saturday, August 9, we boycott, we protest, we strike,” Schwarz said in a recent video<\/a>. “We shut this country down. No more waiting. No more hoping someone else will fix it. No more next week, or next movement.”<\/p>\n The People’s Union USA, in a page on its website, writes: “Money is the only language the system understands. We don’t need to riot or protest in the streets to be heard. All we have to do is stop feeding them. When we pull our dollars, we pull their power. Economic resistance is nonviolent, it’s powerful, and it’s the one tool they cannot silence.”<\/p>\n Political economist Michelle Meagher told Newsweek: “I don’t think consumer boycotts alone work unless complemented by regulatory or legal action by the government.”<\/p>\n What Happens Next?<\/p>\n The economic blackout will last for 24 hours. The People’s Union USA has also scheduled further boycotts for September, this time targeting Amazon<\/a>, Uber<\/a> and Pepsi.<\/p>\n ![\"walmart,](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/walmart-mcdonalds.png\")
\nA Walmart logo is displayed outside one of their stores, left, on March 23, 2025, in San Diego. A McDonald’s logo outside a restaurant in Bristol, England, on October 1, 2023.
\nA Walmart logo is displayed outside one of their stores, left, on March 23, 2025, in San Diego. A McDonald’s logo outside a restaurant in Bristol, England, on October 1, 2023.
\nKevin Carter \/ Matt Cardy\/Getty Images<\/p>\n