A national organization is urging businesses in East Central Illinois to boycott products with ties to Israel and its war in Gaza.
The campaign is called “No Appetite for Apartheid.” Similar campaigns have been launched in New Orleans, Tampa and now Champaign-Urbana.
Local organizers with CU Muslim Action Committee are canvassing local stores and asking them to drop food products from companies that “are complicit in the colonization of Palestine.”
“[We’re] basically calling for individuals to really focus on their boycott of companies that are complicit in Israel’s human rights abuses and apartheid,” said Dua Aldasouqi, an organizer with CU MAC. “Especially when it comes to food.”
Francesca Maria is co-founder of the boycott campaign. She said the Palestine Solidarity Working Group launched the campaign around two years ago and it’s grown a lot since then.
“At this point we have kind of broke containment,” she said. “So, I don’t even know how many like businesses have already taken action like we, you know, we’re past, we’re past that moment where we’re like now in the hundreds.”
Maria said the group previously thought about creating a list of participating stores for consumers, but they thought that would do more harm than good.
“The backlash and the repression in the US is pretty stark, especially in the current political climate,” she added. “And so we had concerns about, like, not, you know, putting a target on the back of these businesses.”
However, Maria said they are reconsidering the idea as the movement has grown since then.
The campaign is urging restaurants and grocery stores to boycott products like Sabra Hummus and Coca-Cola while helping stores find alternatives to those products.
Allen Axelrod is a local supporter who started canvassing over a week ago. He said the effort is meant to promote inclusive products for consumers and businesses.
He emphasized that the movement is not trying to make it harder for stores to operate.
“Go and support those stores,” Axelrod sad. “It’s not like we’re trying to close stores. Champaign- Urbana does not need help with stores closing, evidently. We’re not trying to do that.”
Axelrod said so far, he’s talked to two stores in the area that have been excited to join the campaign.
“Right now, [we are] really trying to get the word out, get people involved,” Aldasouqi said. “Once we get enough people to pledge that they will not be purchasing products that are complicit, is to also roll out a network of apartheid-free stores in town.”