What did Yorkshire Tea and PG tips say on Twitter against racism?
The Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement has taken centre stage following the killing of George Floyd as protests against police brutality and systemic racism continue to take place around the world.
While some have been mocked for their ‘tone-deaf’ tributes to Floyd and the BLM movement, others from celebrities like John Boyega to companies like Ben & Jerry’s have been lauded for voicing their staunch support for the movement.
Among those companies which have shared anti-racism messages online are iconic tea brands Yorkshire Tea and PG Tips.
What did Yorkshire Tea and PG Tips say?
Yorkshire Tea threw its support behind the BLM movement when they responded to a Tweet by Yorkshire-based right-wing vlogger Laura Towler.
Towler, who has been named by the Hope Not Hate advocacy group as one of the eight most influential far-right vloggers in the country, tweeted on Saturday: ‘I’m dead chuffed that Yorkshire Tea has not supported BLM.’
Yorkshire Tea promptly distanced themselves from her, replying: ‘Please don’t buy our tea again.
‘We’re taking some time to educate ourselves and plan proper action before we post. We stand against racism.’
Their tea-making rival PG Tips stood by them on this matter, later tweeting: ‘If you are boycotting teas that stand against racism, you’re going to have to find two new brands now #blacklivesmatter #solidaritea.’
The #solidaritea hashtag was previously used to back a campaign against domestic violence.
However, not all tea-drinkers were happy with this anti-racism stance, and accused the brands of ‘virtue signalling’.
Towler meanwhile since changed her Twitter profile to show that she has been ‘disavowed by Yorkshire Tea’.
MORE: Who Started Black Lives Matter and what does it mean?
MORE: What is the definition of ‘systemic racism’?
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