https://twitter.com/GoldsteinStreet/status/826203746208149504
Resistance to President Trump’s immigration ban on Friday has been loud and clear, with many individuals, politicians, and companies showing their support of America’s history of embracing immigrants. While companies like Lyft and Starbucks were clear in their pro-immigration action (to some backlash), Google initially took a more subtle approach to voicing their dissent with a powerful Google Doodle honoring civil rights activist Fred Korematsu. Korematsu worked tirelessly against the Japanese internment camps from WWII, which many have drawn parallels to with the Trump administration’s treatment of Muslim immigrants. However, Google employees at eight different locations worldwide are mobilizing to show their disgust for the plan with a walk out.
Sharing their voices on social media with the hashtag #GooglersUnite, the protest stemmed from the $2 million dollars (and matched by Google) raised by employees for a fund that would funnel into various organizations that aid refugees. More than 2,000 employees walked out in protest, including many at the Mountain View headquarters.
More Googlers here than people at the Trump inaguration #GooglersUnite pic.twitter.com/weuWlkKraz
— Rogelio Gudino (@cananito) January 30, 2017
More pictures of the thousand of Googlers protesting. #GooglersUnite #MuslimBan pic.twitter.com/sh7OkUJhKW
— William Hester (@WilliamHester) January 30, 2017
Proudly protesting at Seattle #google along other campuses nationwide #GooglersUnite #NoBanNoWall pic.twitter.com/4r7ohZy8LV
— Kim Cameron (@occasionalvegan) January 30, 2017
Simultaneous walk out in 8 Google offices across entire US in support of #NoBanNoWall happening now. #GooglersUnite pic.twitter.com/mxRN1udLK8
— Malte Ubl (@cramforce) January 30, 2017
At HQ today #GooglersUnite to show solidarity with immigrants, refugees, Muslims and fellow Googlers worldwide. pic.twitter.com/g4V7fh8nZZ
— Life at Google (@lifeatgoogle) January 31, 2017
#GooglersUnite rally today: Trump can only wish this many people attended his inauguration. pic.twitter.com/MjCArB3pOL
— Michael Mattiacci (@mattiacci) January 31, 2017
This is @google right now. #googlersunite pic.twitter.com/arSNpveFUp
— Patrick Gage Kelley (@patrickgage) January 30, 2017
https://twitter.com/CaseyNewton/status/826209750643662848?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Speakers at the protest included co-founder and CEO Sundar Pichai and co-founder Sergey Brin, who speaks from direct experience as an immigrant.
Here are Google cofounder Sergey Brin's full remarks from today's #GooglersUnite rally pic.twitter.com/OPslALFRsp
— Ryan Mac 🙃 (@RMac18) January 31, 2017
We’ll have to wait and see how long the protest is sustained and how much it affects the work done at Google. However, the biggest question remains:
Are @realDonaldTrump supporters also going to start a #BoycottGoogle movement, & spend the rest of their lives asking Jeeves? #GooglersUnite
— Daniel Keenan (@hometorun) January 31, 2017
Not quite as easy as boycotting Starbucks, is it?
(Via The Verge)