Activist groups met outside of Walt Disney World the night of February 14th for a scheduled protest, the goal being to persuade Disney CEO Bob Iger to step down from an advisory council created by President Donald Trump. The President’s Strategic and Policy Forum is a group of about 15 current and former corporate heads. Iger has already missed the first meeting of the council this month due to a scheduling conflict, citing a previously scheduled company board meeting. Other council members have faced similar protests from their employees and customer base, with Uber CEO Travis Kalanick having stepped away from the forum after numerous rallies. Most of these protests were related to the President’s controversial executive order temporarily banning nationals from seven Muslim-majority nations.
The groups present at last night’s protest include Organize Florida and the Council for Popular Democracy Action, who do not want Disney tied to Trump’s controversial views, particularly on immigration. Organize Florida stated that almost 400,000 signatures have been reached on petitions calling for Iger to distance himself from the current administration. Activists dropped off printed copies of the petitioned e-signatures at the Disney corporate office before the protest began.
Protesters themed their placards and chants to the location of the rally, with phrases like, “Wall-E, not Walls!” “The Force is not with Donald Trump.” and “Donald Duck, not Donald Trump!”
Activists speaking to the crowd included: Rasha Mubarak, representing the Council on American-Islamic Relations of Florida; Tirso Moreno, a farmworker activist; and Angela McKinnon, financial secretary and treasurer for Unite Here! Local 737 and former Disney foodservice worker. Mubarak proclaimed that “Disney’s success is built on the back of immigrants.” While McKinnon said of Trump’s views, “It’s against my values and Central Florida values. For Iger to stay on that board, it’s not a good thing.”
Source/Image: The Orlando Sentinel
