Delta Air Lines and Coca-Cola, two of Atlanta’s biggest brands, are facing consumer boycott threats after Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp signed new voting restrictions into law last week.
Social media posts carrying the hashtags #BoycottDelta, #BoycottDeltaAirlines and #BoycottCocaCola proliferated on Twitter as critics of the Republican-backed legislation accused the two Atlanta-based companies of not having done enough to stop its passage.
While voting rights advocates called for companies to condemn the Republican initiative in recent weeks, Delta issued carefully worded statements on the importance of ensuring a “fair, secure elections process.” After the legislation passed, Delta issued a statement Friday that appeared to defend the bill that passed because it was less restrictive than earlier versions.
On the weekend, #BoycottDelta was one of the top trending hashtags on Twitter. As of Monday night, it had been used in more than 38,000 tweets since March 23. #BoycottCocaCola was used in more than 34,000 tweets.
Sports and political commentator Keith Olbermann tweeted over the weekend and Monday calling for boycotts of Coca-Cola and Delta, and advocating for baseball’s All-Star Game to be moved from Atlanta. “Do not fly Delta. Do not spend money with Delta. Boycott Delta. Ruin Delta,” he tweeted.