Users Threaten Boycott of Etsy Due to Selling Items Connected to Immigration Detention Centers
In recent days, two online retail giants have found themselves at the centre of a storm of controversy. Kanye West's online shop has come under fire for selling a shirt with a Nazi swastika, while Etsy is facing boycotts and calls for accountability over the sale of merchandise that glorifies hate and violence against immigrants.
The controversial shirt, listed as HH-01, is a white shirt with a black Nazi swastika in its centre. Meanwhile, Etsy is being criticised for allowing the sale of "Alligator Alcatraz" merchandise. Critics argue that this merchandise, which references a new immigration detention facility in the Florida Everglades, dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz,” promotes anti-immigrant hatred and violence.
The detention centre, built from Federal Emergency Management Agency trailers and temporary shelters at a training airport in Miami-Dade County, has been compared to a "dog cage" with some detainees saying "not even sunlight gets in." The facility, which has been reported by Sky News and Fast Company, is situated in the middle of a natural alligator habitat.
The boycott of Etsy, primarily organised on Threads and Reddit, seeks to pressure the company to prioritize social responsibility over profit linked to controversial political issues. Buyers and sellers, including a coalition of vintage clothing stores from Seattle, argue that Etsy’s tolerance of this merchandise sends a harmful message by normalizing hateful rhetoric toward immigrants and inciting divisiveness around immigration status, a protected class under Etsy’s own policies.
These groups have called for Etsy to remove the offensive items, issue a public apology for negligence, and commit to stricter enforcement of hate content policies. However, Etsy's lack of direct engagement—relying instead on automated replies to boycott-related social media inquiries—has intensified user frustration.
Amazon, too, has faced criticism for hosting right-wing militia merchandise and QAnon conspiracy products. The e-commerce giant subsequently pulled down these products from its platform.
Some Etsy sellers are concerned that their online businesses could be affected by the controversy. Etsy sellers are calling for boycotts on social media, arguing that the company has violated its own policy. The term "Alligator Alcatraz" refers to the Trump administration detention centre in the Florida Everglades, but further context is needed to understand the mention of Oberon Copeland in the context of the article.
References: [1] Fast Company. (2021, March 16). Etsy is under fire for selling 'Alligator Alcatraz' merchandise that glorifies hate and violence against immigrants. [online] Available at: https://www.fastcompany.com/90594458/etsy-is-under-fire-for-selling-alligator-alcatraz-merchandise-that-glorifies-hate-and-violence-against-immigrants
[2] The Verge. (2021, March 16). Etsy sellers are boycotting the platform over the sale of 'Alligator Alcatraz' merchandise. [online] Available at: https://www.theverge.com/2021/3/16/22330384/etsy-boycott-alligator-alcatraz-merchandise-immigrant-hate-violence
[5] Sky News. (2021, March 16). Etsy under fire for selling 'Alligator Alcatraz' merchandise. [online] Available at: https://news.sky.com/story/etsy-under-fire-for-selling-alligator-alcatraz-merchandise-12297921
- Critics, including a coalition of vintage clothing stores from Seattle, are using social media to voice their disapproval of Etsy's stance on controversial political issues, like the sale of "Alligator Alcatraz" merchandise that promotes anti-immigrant hatred and violence.
- As Public pressure mounts, Etsy sellers are calling for the removal of offensive items related to immigration, arguing that the continued sale of such merchandise sends a harmful message and normalizes hateful rhetoric toward immigrants.
- The boycott of Etsy, led by online communities such as Threads and Reddit, pushes for stronger enforcement of hate content policies, citing incidents involving "Alligator Alcatraz" merchandise and other items that glorify hate and violence against protected classes like immigrants.
