January 15, 2021 (LifeSiteNews) — In wake of the Capitol riot last week, dozens of major companies have been de-platformed, purged, or otherwise cut ties with Republicans and conservatives, largely irrespective of any involvement in the event.
Since Wednesday, more than twenty companies have suspended contributions to Republican members of congress who maintained objections to some of Biden’s electoral votes after the January 6 riot in Washington D.C.
Many of the companies falsely claim that the Republicans, none of whom called for violence, tried to subvert “the rule of law” or block a “peaceful transition of power.” In fact, objecting to and voting against electoral votes is fully legal and actually typical– Democrats objected during the certification of the last three Republican presidential victories.
Several technology companies also have suspended various conservative figures and users, some of them clearly unconnected to last week’s violence.
Notably, nearly every corporation now moving to blacklist the right has voiced strong, if not unconditional support for the exorbitantly violent Black Lives Matter movement.
Black Lives Matter has been linked to nearly all of the more than 570 riots that raged across 47 states last summer after the death of George Floyd in May. Around 30 people, including young children and parents of young children, lost their lives either in those riots or due to the broader unrest.
“Mostly peaceful” George Floyd/BLM “protests” led to the injuries of over 700 police officers and to a record $1-2 billion worth of damages just between May 27 and June 8.
Smoke from multiple fires rising up in front of the Washington Monument #Chopper4 looking south from Maryland, White House center screen. #BreakingNews @nbcwashington #protests2020 #GeorgeFloydProtests pic.twitter.com/WNtPkgYCtD
— Brad Freitas (@Chopper4Brad) June 1, 2020
Besides fomenting likely the most devastating wave of national violence since General
Sherman’s March to the Sea, Black Lives Matter ultimately seeks to undermine Christianity and the family. Founded by LGBT activists and self-described Marxists, the group’s stated goals include thwarting of “the Western-prescribed nuclear family structure” and demanding “reproductive justice” (i.e., abortion).
Throughout Black Lives Matter’s summer of destruction, companies which are currently abandoning or blacklisting Republicans, funded, justified, and/or tacitly endorsed BLM violence.
The list below represents some of the most egregious examples.
Apple
Apple removed Parler, a conservative social media alternative to Twitter, from the iOS App Store on Friday, effectively blaming Parler for the Capitol riot which was also organized through Facebook and Twitter.
“We have received numerous complaints regarding objectionable content on your Parler service, accusations that the Parler app was used to plan, coordinate, and facilitate the illegal activities in Washington D.C. on January 6, 2021,” Apple told Parler’s developers.
“Please remove all objectionable content from your app and submit your revised binary for review” they said. Neither Twitter nor Facebook have faced consequences as a result of last week’s riot, or for permitting terrorist dictators and openly violent leftist groups to operate on their platforms.
Last summer, Apple updated Siri, the virtual assistant for Apple devices, to promote the official Black Lives Matter website and discourage users from saying “All Lives Matter.” After vandals graffitied the plywood barrier surrounding a devastated Apple Store in Portland, the company announced that it would preserve the “murals” “for future donation,” according to the Oregonian.
Apple pledged $100 million to “challenge the system barriers” of racism within two weeks of George Floyd’s death. The company also donated to the Black Lives Matter Foundation, a pro-police community organization, presumably thinking that it was linked to the larger, hard-left movement.
Amazon
On Monday, the major e-commerce company released a statement saying: “Given the unacceptable attempt to undermine a legitimate democratic process, the Amazon PAC has suspended contributions to any member of Congress who voted to override the results of the U.S. presidential election.”
Amazon previously had banned Parler from Amazon Web Servers (AWS), alleging “a steady increase in … violent content” on the platform. AWS nevertheless hosts Twitter and Facebook, which remain rife with violent messaging and organizing.
In June, after reports of multiple murders connected to Black Lives Matter, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos gave his unqualified backing to the movement.
“I want you to know I support this movement that we see happening all around us,” he said in an Instagram post. “My stance won’t change,” he added.
Amazon and its employees have given $27 million to “organizations supporting justice and equity,” including the official Black Lives Matter group.
American Express
“Last week's attempts by some congressional members to subvert the presidential election results and disrupt the peaceful transition of power do not align with our American Express Blue Box values; therefore AXP PAC will not support them,” American Express CEO Steve Squeri wrote on Monday.
Last July, American Express celebrated Black Lives Matter partners and organizers, including a small business owner who “started donating proceeds from her sales to the BLM bailout fund.”
Best Buy
Best Buy Co. also has suspended donations to Republicans who objected to electoral votes, the Star Tribune reported.
The company had a significantly more relaxed response to the Black Lives Matter riots that particularly targeted Best Buy:
“Neighborhoods across America have felt the heat of flames lit by those who would do only harm, and still others have felt the fear that comes from not knowing where that harm may go next,” Best Buy CEO Corie Berry saidon June 3.
“But those fires will be extinguished, and the damage will be repaired. What remains, however, are the indelible images of George Floyd and the many who came before him,” she declared.
Unfortunately, unlike Best Buy perhaps, many small business will never be fully repaired.
Comcast
On Monday, Comcast/NBCUniversal announced that the company “will suspend all of our political contributions to those elected officials who voted against certification of the electoral college votes…in light of the appalling violence we witnessed at the Capitol last week.”
The company had defended Black Lives Matter against criticism of the group’s radical ideology and violence, cutting with conservative lobbyist Matt Schlapp after he called BLM “hostile to families, capitalism, cops, unborn life and gender.”
Commerce Bank
According to a statement provided to Popular Information, Commerce Bank claimed to have “suspended all support for officials who have impeded the peaceful transfer of power.”
“Commerce Bank condemns violence in any form,” the company added.
After rioters attacked a St. Louis branch, Commerce contacted a local artist to paint pro-Black Lives Matter messages on the boards of the plywood covering the bank’s shattered windows.
Commerce downplayed the damage, simply saying, “recent protests left some St. Louis area businesses with boarded-up windows.”
At least one person, elderly retired police officer David Dorn, was killed during looting in St. Louis.
Deloitte
The major auditing firm suspended political contributions to Republicans whom Deloitte claims “undermine the rule of law,” according to Popular Information.
Deloitte’s top leaders responded to Black Lives Matter in June by determining to “sustain a culture of antiracism.” They noted that they “highly recommend” the book How to Be An Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi.
Kendi, a radical professor who called Amy Coney Barret racist for adopting black children, openly defends Black Lives Matter violence. In a May 29, 2020 tweet he said:“‘Riot’ is a racist word in this context. Smears demonstrators as wild and ignores the protest nature of their violence. ‘The violence is senseless’ is a racist phrase. #BlackLivesMatter”
Intel
Intel has said that it “will not contribute to members of Congress who voted against certification of the Electoral College vote as we feel that action was counter to our company's values.”
Intel quickly announced support for the Black Lives Matter movement after George Floyd’s death and donated to the Black Lives Matter Foundation, seemingly for the reason that Apple did. The company later strongly rebuked Rep. Jim Hagedorn (R-MN) for daring to criticize the movement.
Hagedorn called Black Lives Matter incompatible with “western culture,” in light of a top BLM organizer’s call to tear down statues of Jesus, Mary, and other Christian figures.
“Their radical movement is orchestrated and growing,” Rep. Hagedorn said. “We must never let them take power. We must stand up and defend our country, our nation's identity, our Judeo-Christian values and our American way of life.”
Intel CEO Bob Swan asked him to return Intel's $4,000 campaign contribution. “IntelPAC has not contributed to Rep. Hagedorn since 2018, and will not make future contributions to him,” Swan said.
GoFundMe
After the Capitol riot, GoFundMe decided to remove fundraisers for travel expenses linked to political events “where there's risk of violence by the attendees,” the company said.
At the same time, GoFundMe promotes a funding campaign for D.C. “protestors” seeking pepper spray, stun guns, and body armor, among other things. They also highlight the official Black Lives Matter organization and host several BLM bailoutfunds.
Marriott
“We have taken the destructive events at the Capitol to undermine a legitimate and fair election into consideration and will be pausing political giving from our Political Action Committee to those who voted against certification of the election,” a Marriott spokesperson told Popular Information.
In May, Marriott CEO Arne Sorenson had justified destruction caused by Black Lives Matter riots, however, saying: “Fear also animates many who watch the protests that have turned too often to violence, who may want their neighborhood to return to calm or who fear the chaos from a distance. While the violence can only lead to further rage and destruction, we have to pay attention to the underlying emotions. Until we do, the anger and fear that mostanimate the unpredictable part of this crisis, cannot be assuaged.”
The social media platform permanently banned President Donald Trump's account on Friday, following similar action by Facebook and Instagram.
“After close review of recent Tweets from the @realDonaldTrump account and the context around them… we have permanently suspended the account due to the risk of further incitement of violence,” Twitter said.
A month into the wave of Black Lives Matter riots last summer, Twitter orchestrated a billboard campaign of pro-Black Lives Matter tweets in the hardest hit U.S. cities.
“I’m so proud of you. You, marching on the streets. You, organizing. You, screaming, ‘Black Lives Matter’,” one billboard read.
Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey gave $3 million to former second-string quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s Know Your Right Camp organization in June. The washed-up football player had tweeted days earlier, “cries for peace will rain down, and when they do, they will land on deaf ears, because your violence has brought this resistance.”
Walmart
One of the latest to blacklist Republicans who raised legal electoral objections last week, Walmart announced on Tuesday: “in light of last week’s attack on the U.S. Capitol, Walmart’s political action committee is indefinitely suspending contributions to those members of Congress who voted against the lawful certification of state electoral college votes.”
Objection to the certification of electoral votes also would have been legal under the Electoral Count Act of 1887 and has happened before.
Walmart, nevertheless, has faithfully towed the Black Lives Matter line, to the point of normalizing the lawlessness of the hundreds, if not thousands, of looters who attacked Walmart’s stores.
Besides the incident above in Tampa, looters destroyed a Walmart in Philadelphia, sacked a store after protests in North Carolina, and descended upon Walmart Supercenters in Chicago.
“That is reparations,” a Black Lives Matter organizer characterized the Chicago lootings. “Anything they wanted to take, they can take it because these businesses have insurance.”
Like the CEO of Marriot, Walmart CEO Doug McMillon effectively excused the lawlessness, saying on June 5:“And we’re seeing what happens when we – as a country – fail to address root causes. Frustrations build and can turn into anger. And that anger will eventually be expressed – as we’ve seen as some of our stores have been looted and damaged.”
He noted that the riots and looting “have brought wreckage, injury, and even death.” “Those effects are significant and will have a lasting impact on individuals and communities,” before imploring people to view Black Lives Matter in terms of those acting peacefully.
Later that month, Walmart announced that it would remove merchandise with the words “All Lives Matter,” after complaints that the slogan watered-down the BLM message.
Other companies that have strongly endorsed the Black Lives Matter movement and are now censuring Republicans and/or conservatives include: Airbnb, AT&T, the Blue Shield Blue Cross Association, Citibank, Deutsche Bank, Dow Chemical, General Electric, GoDaddy, Facebook, Hallmark, Instagram, Mastercard, Morgan Stanley, Nike, PayPal, Salesforce, Shopify, Stripe, and Verizon.