Peoples Union graphic promoting the 24-hour Economic Blackout planned nationally for Friday, 2/28/25
Re-posting this article, previously posted on 2/19/25, as a reminder of the next protest.
The People’s Union, a grassroots organization that seeks to “unionize people to take back our power” is calling for a 24-hour nationwide “economic blackout” on Friday, February 28, 2025 targeting the biggest businesses in America, including companies like Amazon, Walmart, Starbucks, Target, Exxon and others, to highlight the companies’ part in creating an “economy designed to exploit workers, suppress wages, and keep the majority of us in a constant state of struggle. These are the forces that have stolen our financial freedom, manipulated our government, and kept power in the hands of the wealthy elite.”
Blackout participants are asked not to purchase anything online or at big retailers like Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy, Target, Starbucks or other big companies for 24 hours on 2/28. Participants are also urged to not spend money on fast food or gas, or use their credit or debit cards for essential spending, since doing so financially benefits big credit card companies. Paying bills and buying food, medicine and other necessities are fine during the Blackout, but people are asked to patronize locally-owned businesses, and not big corporations or chain stores.
What is the People’s Union?
According to its website, the People’s Union was founded by “John” (Instagram video), a guy who goes by the handle TheOneCalledJai on social media accounts. John writes, “I am not a politician. I am not a corporate backed activist. I am just a man who has lived through struggle, seen the truth, and decided to do something about it.” His bio sketch says he had a difficult youth and grew up in a poor, abusive household. As a young man, he worked menial jobs just to feed himself and eventually concluded that “the system is rigged to keep all of us trapped” in economic despair.
The goal of the People’s Union is to organize average working people to “create a force strong enough to counterbalance corporate control, political corruption, and economic exploitation.”
A famous Adbusters ad spoofing Marlboro cigarette ads. Adbusters is not affiliated with the People’s Union. In the 1990s, Adbusters started and annual “Buy Nothing Day,” held on the day after Thanksgiving every year (“Black Friday”), to counteract overconsumption, excessive materialism and wastefulness, and its impact on the environment.
Economic Blackout Day mimics Buy Nothing Day, a national day of protest against unbridled consumer spending started by the Vancouver, Canada-based group Adbusters Media Foundation in the 1990s. Adbusters publishes Adbusters Magazine, “one of a handful of magazines in the world that receives zero funding from advertising, either print or online, corporate sponsorship or government/foundation grants.” The magazine contains spoof ads that criticize a host of common consumer products. Buy Nothing Day falls on Black Friday every year, the day after Thanksgiving and the biggest consumer spending day of the year. Adbusters also originated TV Turnoff Week and Occupy Wall Street.
The People’s Union is not affiliated with Adbusters Media Foundation or the November Buy Nothing Day.
In explaining the conditions that led up to the need for the Blackout, the People’s Union’s website says, in part,
Mega corporations have driven up prices, underpaid their workers, and outsourced jobs while raking in record profits. Banks and financial institutions have trapped generations in debt, inflating interest rates and making homeownership nearly impossible. Politicians ”both left and right” have accepted corporate bribes, passed laws that serve billionaires, and ignored the needs of the people they claim to represent. The system has been designed to keep us powerless, but that ends now.
The narrative of the Economic Blackout from the People’s Union website is:
This is it. The first real test. The first demonstration of power. The first time we send a shockwave through the system that has controlled us for too long.
On Friday, February 28th, we go dark. For 24 hours, we stop feeding the machine. No spending. No unnecessary purchases. No engagement with major corporations.
Because for decades, they’ve made you believe that you’re just a worker. Just a consumer. Just another cog in their endless cycle of profit and control.
But they’ve lied.
John, founder of the People’s Union
The truth is simple: they don’t run this country — we do. And the moment we choose to stop playing by their rules, the moment we cut off their supply, the moment we remind them that they need us, not the other way around, that’s the moment we begin to take control back.
WHAT HAPPENS ON FEBRUARY 28TH?
• No purchases. No Amazon. No Walmart. No Starbucks. No unnecessary gas fill-ups. No online orders.
• No engagement. Skip the big-brand entertainment, the news cycles designed to distract and divide.
• Absolute focus. This is about unity, discipline, and demonstrating collective will.
This is not a protest. It’s not a gimmick. It’s a warning shot.
Because if they ignore this one-day blackout?
We escalate. We go longer. We go deeper. And they will have to listen.
This is only the beginning.
WHY THIS MATTERS
Every major shift in history started with one moment. One act of defiance. One refusal to comply with a broken system.
This is that moment.
We are done waiting for politicians to fix what is broken.
We are done watching billionaires hoard wealth while the working class struggles.
We are done believing we are powerless.
The People’s Union also plans an Amazon Boycott from March 7 -14 and a Nestle boycott March 21-28.
Hey guys, not sure if this is the place to post this. Either Alpine Bank of the Spring Concert Series of Grand Mesa Performing Arts might be able to get some tickets to the Eric Elison concert tonight. Elison does a knock off of Gordon Lightfoot. Lol, now I can’t get that “Sundown” tune out of my head. The Concert is at 7:00 p,m, in Cedaredge. I also am not sure, but probably they cost about $4 or a bit more, because they still have to pay the ticket vendor for comps. YOu would just pay at the desk at the Arts center. Some of these might be VIP tickets which is better seating and a couple of drinks. Probably 15-25 of these are available. THey would need a rough count of those interested, and so nobody makes the drive without a promised ticket. Don’t change your plans for this evening until it is for sure. Let me know who is interested before 2:00 p.m. I don’t need your actual names yet, just rough count.
Luckily, no one has to pay to join a boycott.
I wonder how anyone is supposed to know if this boycott is successful.
There is not a way to know, still I am sure you will enlighten us.
Oh wait, there is a way to tell. It has been a good week for John Schwarz:
Fund The People’s Union USA – Fight Back NOW
$70,675 USD raised
$100K goal·1.5K donations
71%
By the way, my guardio privacy detector warns this site is malicious potentially harvesting personal details. DOn’t click it.
https://thepeoplesunionusa.c**
Good investigative work.
Why would someone give him cash? Money to burn?
This is a great opportunity to change the mistakes made last November. Vote at each and every opportunity. Help others get to the voting booths if necessary. Sign up everyone you can and offer to help them get mail-in voting forms if needed.
A reminder to all of us that Whole Foods is part of Amazon — maybe someone can add it to the list in the announcement? If we need to purchase food that day, we’ll go to our local food co-op — we’re member-owners there, not pawns.
I have to say, tuff surviving democracy these days. No matter what side of the spectrum your on we are all going to lose. Government and corporate America and the billionaires have to be reminded by the people we do have the say. I’m all in supporting the 28th boycott.
He could have just said ‘Don’t go to Starbucks, send the money to John Swarz’ Gofundme account’. Welcome to the emerging economy of activism for personal gain. We got a taste from Harris’ paid volunteers after the election.
He has no plans for his future allocation. The following is from his site:
Total Donations Received as of 2/12/25 are $14,395
Breakdown of Expenses:
• Website Domain & Hosting: $185.00 (Yearly)
Website Email Service: $216.00 (Yearly)
Website Security: $32.09 (Yearly)
Total Spent so far: $433.09
• Future Fund Allocation: $13,961.91
This appears to be a scam. Personally, I really don’t care if you go to Starbucks, or send him your social security check.
He declares if this one day disruption is not successful, then next time it will be much larger.
Brilliant.
I hope people understand that the large corporations have always pushed the idea that growth is a good thing. But the purpose of growth is to maximise the profits of the corporations. Actually conserving is better for the planet. Too many clothes are thrown away and end up in the ocean. Too much good edible food is thrown away everyday
in America in fact, there is too much waste of perfectly good appliances and really just about everything here.
A good reason to use what you have and not spend on 2/28 🙂
As far as I can tell the Peoples Union is just a SCAM. There is no master plan to this and no end goal. None of these things will even get noticed by anyone, especially corporate America. I think this guy just can’t make it in the world and want’s to blame it on his childhood. I could throw together a better website/email/gofundme with actual well thought out solutions in about an hour for a cost $5-$10 a month. I guess he also is not very web savvy. He didn’t bother to create a non-profit, one of the first things he should have done if he was at all serious! Almost $14K of wasted money that could have gone to an actual organizations.
As far as I concerned we have a convicted felon and a cult like following. Something needs to be done or we can just sit this one out for 4 years and have this cult dismantle our democracy oh by the way can you give me your SS #
I did’t say do nothing for four years, we should start now coming up with real solutions and finding appropriate leaders that will affect change (preferably under 200 years old).
There have already been Buy Nothing Days, this guy has no new concepts or really any well defined concepts at all. He just has a poorly built website and no non-profit status. You’re better off sending you money to an established group that is organized and trying to make a difference instead of some unknown disgruntled guy that created a website.
Not sure why you need my SS#, are you a scammer too?
You don’t have to donate anything to participate in the buying blackout. Just do it!
It would be more impactful to get everyone to boycott something like Tesla because of his involvement in the government not just all companies indiscriminately. Someone already came up with Buy Nothing Day, it was last year around Thanksgiving.
The People’s Union is not a group or a movement, it’s not even a non-profit. It’s some guy that created a website and has already collected $14 grand from suckers that don’t know what he will do with their money. If you want to waste your money send it to me. If you want to make a difference join a valid cause.
Thank you for being a positive voice. I agree, we should “Just do it!”. Those not interested can refrain from participating, and also from negative speculations to influence others against participating. If anyone wants to know more they should go to the website and read for themselves, then make their own decision. The website is: jointhepeoplesunion.com
Well at least he is trying something. Most of us are sitting around the table all upset that he is doing just what he said he would do…be a dictator! Everyone was warned about project 2025 but they decided to drink more kool-aid!!
John, the People’s Union founder seems like an OK fellow but his ideas are quixotic.
He admits to growing up in an underprivileged home and then recounts that he started out working in delis, office jobs and eventually running a company in Manhattan. He then wanted out of city life, so he moved to the Midwest and ran multiple businesses and taught drum lessons on-line.
But after all of this success and enjoying the freedom to chase his dreams, he has finally realized the system is fixed and is keeping Americans trapped.
His innovative solution is to boycott big companies to show them we can’t be pushed around.
At least he didn’t call Trump a fascist…a thing for which I am eternally grateful.
🙂
So, you’re okay with supporting a fascist; you just can’t handle it when people point it out?
That tracks.
I hope people understand that the large corporations have always pushed the idea that growth is a good thing. But the purpose of growth is to maximise the profits of the corporations. Actually conserving is better for the planet. Too many clothes are thrown away and end up in the ocean. Too much good edible food is thrown away everyday
in America in fact, there is too much waste of perfectly good appliances and really just about everything here. Trump is a Fascist. Why don’t you want it to be known?
Because harry wants it both ways; he wants to enjoy the pain and suffering a fascist leader will visit upon people he doesn’t like, but he wants to avoid the repercussions when those same people start fighting back.
I agree that it’s unfortunate that growth seems to be the holy grail of our economy…and that conserving is probably the wisest way for us to live. I doubt we got talked into this by some corporate collusion. It’s simply part of the western psyche. If you can tell me differently…I’d love to hear.
Trump being called a fascist is simply boring and it’s refreshing to see at least one of Anne’s posts without this lazy foolishness being paraded around.
Your Dear Leader is currently trying to strip millions of US Citizens of their constitutionally guaranteed citizenship, just because he wants to please his miserable racist base.
He (and his miserable racist base) believe he is more powerful than the Constitution.
You believe your Leader is more powerful than the most sacrosacnt document this country maintains.
Don’t be so disingenuous.
It doesn’t look like he has any plan. He threw several words on a web page but anyone could do this in about an hour for a lot less money than he has listed. A plan to boycott unspecific large corporations by not purchasing their goods for 24 hours will not make a bit of difference to these companies. American would have to reduce their spending long term to make any difference, and I don’t see that happening. There are no specifics on how anyone’s donations will be used other than to pay him to add to his website of which costs already look way out of line. He couldn’t even be bothered to become a non-profit. Looks like a $14K SCAM so far.
Badhat, Who knows, maybe he is not a scammer. I really don’t know if he has good intentions, and will use the money to make some difference. He has never asked any of us for money unless we happen to stumble on to his site and gofundme campaign. When you say he ‘ admits’, it sounds like you view him as apologetic. I certainly don’t consider him a leader, and in fact his history is self-declared.
For myself, while conservation and controlling our consumption is a good thing, it is simply a rational aspect of consumer economics. No big awareness coming from a 24 hour boycott.
It saddens me when consequential events are happening around the world, and people choose to react by chasing shiny objects.
Big thinkers like Bill and Seamus represent the real cancer in our society. Much larger than the convicted felon. They will watch America lose its way as long they can blame it on others racism or fascism.
So, you’re basically Larry Lite?
You think that people who hate racism and fascism are somehow worse than Trump, who’s literally enabling both in our society?
I think I can live with your diapproval. After all, look at who you’re kneeling to.
I’ve been boycotting Nestle for over half a century — did not make a difference but at least I am not complicit.