A nationwide spending boycott to protest the power of billionaires and wealthy companies isn’t leaving Humboldt totally untouched. 

Thousands of people around the country are planning on not buying anything for all of tomorrow, except at local businesses. According to the Associated Press, a group called The People’s Union USA is taking credit for the idea. Participants have, for the most part, been plotting on social media. Several local groups, such as the Humboldt Progressive Democrats and Showing Up for Racial Justice Humboldt, have endorsed the protest. 

“The false narrative of the cuts being instituted as helping regular Americans is being refuted with this boycott,” said Sarah Bee, the vice chair of the Humboldt Progressive Democrats in a statement sent to the Outpost. “The only thing the one percent care about is the bottom line and we can withhold our dollars from the billionaires and support small local businesses instead.”

Eureka resident Dan Carmell posted a flyer about the boycott on the r/Humboldt subreddit to provoke some discussion. Although he doesn’t have much faith it’ll change anything and sees it more symbolically, he thinks it’s still worth doing because it requires no effort. 

“[I’m] just another angry, bewildered progressive,” Carmell wrote in a direct message to the Outpost. “In the past, I would have hoped for a snowball effect for popular support to reverse the Trump/Musk/GOP agenda, ultimately aimed at Congress…I don’t see a path to a mass popular movement nor any chance of such a movement altering the GOP agenda one iota. As a long time activist, I know that dedicated people do it anyway, performative or not, as a matter of principle.”

The reaction from most online has been fairly apathetic. Several commenters on Reddit called the boycott performative and mostly for the benefit of those participating. 

Cal Poly Humboldt student June Morris is a little more optimistic, though she also doesn’t think too highly of movements that seem to be almost entirely organized online. She believes that an economic blackout like this one can be a solid rebuke to those in charge.

“It’s a reminder,” Morris said. “You are nothing without us…It’s not like this gets rid of the demand, but if there’s nobody buying their supply, that’s money they’re losing…It feels like we’re trying to speak to them, but the only language they understand — or will listen to — is money.” 

“I think it’s worth a shot,” Morris continued. “Hope is really important in times like this, and maybe some good will come out of this.”