Ben & Jerry’s, the famously “woke” ice cream brand, is facing increased wrath online for its Independence Day posting calling for the United States to return the lands of indigenous people it claims were stolen during the country’s founding.
Several conservative Twitter accounts with hundreds of thousands of followers directed their followers to boycott the Vermont-based company after it kicked off the Fourth of July with a blog post promoting the “Land Back Movement” which calls for among other things giving Native American communities control over Mount Rushmore and the rest of the Black Hills in South Dakota.
“Ah, the Fourth of July. Who doesn’t love a good parade, some tasty barbecue, and a stirring fireworks display? The only problem with all that, though, is that it can distract from an essential truth about this nation’s birth: The US was founded on stolen Indigenous land. This year, let’s commit to returning it,” the company wrote on its blog.
This 4th of July, it's high time we recognize that the US exists on stolen Indigenous land and commit to returning it. Learn more and take action now: https://t.co/45smaBmORH pic.twitter.com/a6qp7LXUAE
— Ben & Jerry's (@benandjerrys) July 4, 2023
“GO WOKE = GO BROKE!” exclaimed Robert Malone who garnered over one million followers during the pandemic.
i don't eat a lot of ice cream, but I know for sure that in the future – I won't be eating Ben and Jerry's!
GO WOKE = GO BROKE!— Robert W Malone, MD (@RWMaloneMD) July 5, 2023
Canada Proud, which rose to prominence during the anti-mandate Freedom Convoy last year, compared the latest post to a previous one made by Ben & Jerry’s which recognized Canada Day by pushing the “Land Back” movement for the country’s indigenous tribes.
Ben & Jerry's just showed how they feel about us. Let's show how we feel about them. 👍 pic.twitter.com/Y3h2ZXK0Dq
— Canada Proud (@WeAreCanProud) July 3, 2023
“Give ALL of your property and land back to the Native Americans right now then… or shut up,” said another user. The ice cream brand should give all their stores to the Native American tribes that originally owned those zip codes,” added another.
Give ALL of your property and land back to the Native Americans right now then… or shut up.
— Tim Young (@TimRunsHisMouth) July 4, 2023
.@benandjerrys should give all their stores to the Native American tribes that originally owned those zip codes. Cmon Ben and Jerry, be leaders. Retweet if you agree✔️👇 https://t.co/5WOzc63IB5
— John Rich🇺🇸 (@johnrich) July 5, 2023
The “Bud Light treatment” is beginning to creep into boycotts against other brands that spend their capital on social justice statements rather than customer service. The protests are not just talk, with the formerly top-selling beer for the U.S. falling in the rankings while losing billions of dollars in sales that analysts expect may never return. Similar boycotts percolated against Target, Kohl’s, and the L.A. Dodgers during Pride Month resulting in massive protests and lost revenue. The potency of conservative backlash against woke companies has led Republican presidential candidates like former President Donald Trump to celebrate the boycotts as they elbow one another for room in what will be a contentious primary to take on President Joe Biden.