People are deleting Uber to challenge Trump’s Muslim ban

Uber has come under fire for reportedly bad treatment of employees and its discriminating practice against users. Now, the taxi company faces mass boycott for ‘strikebreaking’.

In the wake of Donald Trump’s executive order banning people from seven ‘Muslim’ countries entering the U.S on Friday, people have been protesting at major cities and airports across the country. The New York Taxi Workers Alliance came out in support of the protests, announcing that taxis would not be attending JFK airport for one hour.

“Drivers stand in solidarity with refugees coming to America in search of peace and safety and with those who are simply trying to return to their homes here in America after traveling abroad,” The NYTWA wrote on Facebook. “We stand in solidarity with all of our peace-loving neighbours against this inhumane, cruel, and unconstitutional act of pure bigotry.”

Thousands had gathered at JFK, LAX and more to support those affected by the travel ban.

In contrast, Uber tweeted that it was curbing surge pricing around JFK, in what looks like an attempt to profit off of the strike. The backlash has seen many posting screenshots of the app being deleted from their phones, as well as statements about the taxi provider “scabbing” and its “exploitative anti-labour policies and Trump collaboration”, “profiting off xenophobia”.

Uber CEO said he was against the immigration ban, but the company would still continue working. In a statement, Travis Kalanick said: “While every government has their own immigration controls, allowing people from all around the world to come here and make America their home has largely been the U.S.’s policy since its founding. That means this ban will impact many innocent people — an issue that I will raise this coming Friday when I go to Washington for President Trump’s first business advisory group meeting.”

“Ever since Uber’s founding we’ve had to work with governments and politicians of all political persuasions across hundreds of cities and dozens of countries. Though we share common ground with many of them, we have had areas of disagreement with each of them,” he added. “In some cases we’ve had to stand and fight to make progress, other times we’ve been able to effect change from within through persuasion and argument.”

Lyft, another taxi company and Uber rival, announced that it has donated $1million to the ACLU.