A video featuring British-American actor Michael Malarkey, widely recognized for his role as Enzo in The Vampire Diaries, has gone viral on social media.
In the clip, the 41-year-old actor declines to drink a Starbucks coffee on stage during an event, despite the brand being a sponsor.
Malarkey explained that his decision was tied to his boycott of the coffee chain due to its support for Israel, expressing solidarity with the Palestinian cause amid the ongoing genocidal war on Gaza, which began on October 7, 2023.
During the event, Malarkey urged attendees to join the boycott against Starbucks and other companies linked to support for Israel.
The actor has actively used his social media platforms to advocate for Palestine, sharing posts encouraging his followers to purchase pro-Palestine merchandise as part of a fundraising initiative for the people of Gaza.
In one post, he donned a shirt featuring the Palestinian flag and captioned it, “I love you, my family.”
Malarkey’s stance has been met with widespread praise from fans, who commended his solidarity and activism.
The boycott campaign targeting several global corporations accused of supporting Israel has reportedly inflicted significant financial losses, particularly in the Middle East and North Africa, home to over 500 million consumers.
Starbucks, one of the most prominent companies targeted, experienced a 7 percent drop in global sales during the second quarter of 2024 compared to the same period the previous year. This marked the company’s first quarterly sales decline since 2020.
The sales downturn has extended beyond the Middle East, with markets like China also being affected. The boycott has reportedly forced Starbucks to scale back operations.
In August 2024, the company replaced its CEO, Lakshman Narasimhan, citing unmet profit targets. While Starbucks described market “headwinds” as a factor, analysts linked the decision to the growing impact of the boycott.
Malarkey’s outspoken support for Palestine comes amidst the ongoing Israeli offensive on Gaza, which has resulted in one of the world’s most devastating humanitarian crises.
Ongoing Genocide
Flouting a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire, Israel has faced international condemnation amid its continued brutal offensive on Gaza.
Currently on trial before the International Court of Justice for genocide against Palestinians, Israel has been waging a devastating war on Gaza since October 7.
According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, 43,985 Palestinians have been killed, and 104,092 wounded in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza starting on October 7, 2023.
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Moreover, at least 11,000 people are unaccounted for, presumed dead under the rubble of their homes throughout the Strip.
Israel says that 1,200 soldiers and civilians were killed during the Al-Aqsa Flood Operation on October 7. Israeli media published reports suggesting that many Israelis were killed on that day by ‘friendly fire’.
Palestinian and international organizations say that the majority of those killed and wounded are women and children.
The Israeli war has resulted in an acute famine, mostly in northern Gaza, resulting in the death of many Palestinians, mostly children.
The Israeli aggression has also resulted in the forceful displacement of nearly two million people from all over the Gaza Strip, with the vast majority of the displaced forced into the densely crowded southern city of Rafah near the border with Egypt – in what has become Palestine’s largest mass exodus since the 1948 Nakba.
Later in the war, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians began moving from the south to central Gaza in a constant search for safety.
(PC, AJA)
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