Today, people all across the country are protesting Donald Trump’s stances on immigration. Protestors are staying away from work and school, not shopping, and marching on the capitol to make it clear that immigrants are a vital part of the American economy. Across the nation, hundreds of restaurants and other businesses have closed (see our list here) and now one unlikely ally has joined them. McDonald’s locations are spontaneously closing down in solidarity.
Business Insider reports that McDonald’s locations in states including New jersey and Oklahoma have shut down. It’s not yet clear whether the closures have to do with the franchise owners’ standing with the “A Day Without An Immigrant” protestors or whether they were forced to shutter due to workers striking, but the reactions have been flying on social media, where users have expressed everything from support to annoyance.
(Folks, err on the side of support please. You can have a McFlurry tomorrow.)
https://twitter.com/regina_smith67/status/832238531993038848
https://twitter.com/RogerDaJuiceman/status/832215312430927873
This @McDonalds at Katy Fwy & Mason Rd has been affected by the #DayWithoutImmigrants campaign. pic.twitter.com/AwHWgRm2VA
— Gil Gredinger (@KPRC2Gil) February 16, 2017
Lunch hour and the #Austin McDonald's at Barton Springs and South Lamar is empty. Closed today for #DayWithoutImmigrants pic.twitter.com/W0uvduFhaJ
— Gary Dinges (@gdinges) February 16, 2017
McDonald's in Green Hills only taking orders in drive-thru due to shortage of workers who are participating in #DayWithoutImmigrants pic.twitter.com/nbRIsws6Sv
— FoxNashville (@FOXNashville) February 16, 2017
https://twitter.com/SQLAmerica/status/832227638630608897
OMG the McDonald's is closed… One less day receiving a fucked up order. #whocares #DayWithoutImmigrants
— RedfishNinja (@Brenard0) February 16, 2017
According to a tweet published in BI, at least one location didn’t expect to close. Instead, the managers had to shut it down when no one showed up.
My best friend work at McDonald's, & nobody showed to work. #nofoodforyall #Daywithoutimmigrants
— daj (@dajsaidso) February 16, 2017
It appears that the protests, which highlight the economic power of immigrants, are having a huge effect. They’re disrupting the status quo and forcing people who never thought they’d have to deal with this personally to come to grips with what it would look like if Trump’s radical policies were put into place. And if not getting a Big Mac or a McCafe compels people to think about these issues, then the protests will have been well worth it.
