The boycotts begin, as leftists try to crash the Trump economy for the holidays

A series of coordinated left-wing boycotts and “economic blackout” actions kick off today, marking the start of what organizers hope will be a week of deliberate spending freezes meant to depress retail activity during the most important shopping period of the year.

The actions, led by dozens of progressive and activist groups, openly aim to exert economic pressure during President Donald Trump’s second term and to show, in their words, “the power of collective withdrawal” from major US corporations.

The primary effort, called the Mass Blackout, runs Nov. 25 through Dec. 2 and is backed by the People’s Union USA, American Opposition, and a coalition of 51 aligned organizations. Participants are urged to avoid all major retailers, including Walmart, Amazon, Target, Starbucks, McDonald’s, and large online platforms such as Shein, Temu, and Macy’s. Organizers instruct followers to cease nonessential spending altogether: no travel, dining out, streaming subscriptions, or even work if employees can find a way to skip it. The strategy is to “remove billions” from the national economy through a coordinated slowdown and redirect some of that money toward food banks and mutual-aid networks.

A second campaign, Blackout the System, overlaps during the same dates, Nov. 25 through Dec. 2, with some activists extending it to Dec. 5. It targets “all large corporations” accused of reinforcing social or economic inequality. Participants are told to avoid shopping, avoid going to work, and avoid engagement with advertising-driven platforms while focusing instead on community giving and local support systems.

Another overlapping boycott, We Ain’t Buying It, running Thanksgiving Day (Nov. 27) through Cyber Monday (Dec. 1), is led by No Kings, Black Voters Matter, Indivisible, and Until Freedom.

Those organizers single out Amazon for its cloud-services contracts with the federal government, Target for scaling back DEI initiatives and Pride merchandise, and Home Depot for what activists call complicity in immigration-enforcement raids. Their message encourages followers to walk away from big-box chains and instead shop at Black-owned, immigrant-owned, and minority-owned small businesses, especially on Small Business Saturday.

Immigrant-rights groups are also circulating a more focused ICE-Tied Boycott, timed specifically for Black Friday on Nov. 28. Using the ICELIST tracker, activists highlight companies they say share data or provide technology to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, including Amazon’s cloud infrastructure and advertising platforms used to promote law-enforcement surveillance tools. The effort stresses that Black Friday can represent up to 20% of annual retail profits, and it includes safety guides and so-called “risk maps” for immigrants who may fear increased enforcement during the holiday rush.

Together, the series of actions reflects a growing tactic among progressive networks: using consumer abstention to try to weaken the broader economy as a form of political protest. While individually the groups represent varied agendas—from immigration to policing to corporate activism—they are united this week by a common goal of starving large retailers of cash during the busiest shopping stretch of the year and demonstrating that economic disruption is one more of their political tools.