A nationwide boycott of McDonald’s is set to begin on June 24, 2025, organized by The People’s Union USA, a grassroots advocacy group known for its “Economic Blackout Tour” targeting major corporations. The boycott will run through June 30 and is the latest in a series of actions by the group, which has previously targeted companies like Amazon, Walmart, and Target. The People’s Union USA, led by founder John Schwarz, urges Americans to avoid McDonald’s and instead support small, local businesses during this period.

The protest is a direct response to McDonald’s decision earlier this year to scale back its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. In January, McDonald’s announced it would no longer set aspirational goals for hiring and promoting underrepresented groups, discontinued its supplier diversity pledge, and rebranded its Diversity Team as the Global Inclusion Team. These moves, according to the company, reflect an “evolving landscape around DEI,” but critics and activists argue they represent a retreat from meaningful social responsibility.

Beyond the DEI rollback, The People’s Union USA cites a range of additional grievances fueling the boycott. These include allegations of price gouging, tax avoidance, low wages, suppression of workers’ rights, and performative rather than substantive DEI efforts. Schwarz and the group accuse McDonald’s of prioritizing profit over people, stating that the company’s social justice messaging is more about optics than real change. The group’s Instagram posts and public statements emphasize their goal of holding corporations accountable for both economic and social justice issues.

The boycott comes at a time when McDonald’s is already grappling with declining U.S. sales and broader consumer frustration over rising prices and corporate practices. Activists, including Black churches and community leaders, have joined the push, pressuring companies to maintain or expand DEI commitments in the face of political and economic headwinds. This latest action reflects a growing wave of consumer activism aimed at demanding corporate accountability through coordinated economic resistance.