Yorkshire Tea and PG Tips Take On Far-Right YouTuber Sparking Incredibly British Hashtag

A Yorkshire-based vlogger got more than she bargained for when opposing the Black Lives Matter protests.
Peter Dazeley via Getty Images

Two of the UK’s biggest tea brands have sparked an incredible hashtag after taking on a Yorkshire-based far-right vlogger who was tweeting in opposition to the Black Lives Matter movement.

In June, Laura Towler said she was “dead chuffed” that Yorkshire Tea hadn’t come out in support of worldwide protests at the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis earlier this month.

I’m dead chuffed that Yorkshire Tea hasn’t supported BLM. 😁

— Laura (@thisislaurat) June 6, 2020

But the brand responded bluntly, telling her: “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”

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.
#BlackLivesMatter

— Yorkshire Tea (@YorkshireTea) June 8, 2020

In a sadly predictable manner, the tweet sparked calls for a boycott from people who took offence at a brand opposing racism.

What on earth are you doing? Don't take sides just stick to your bloody product. We defended you against the lefty hordes now you tweet this. FFS.

— Ministry of Truth (@BanTheBBC) June 8, 2020

This then caused PG Tips to get involved, spawning the #solidaritea hashtag which was still trending on Twitter on Tuesday morning.

Yeah it does suck, Pamela. If you are boycotting teas that stand against racism, you're going to have to find two new tea brands now. #blacklivesmatter #solidaritea

— PG tips (@PGtips) June 8, 2020

2020 might be an absolute shitshow but #solidaritea has certainly brightened up my morning! pic.twitter.com/1P6X3eTOKB

— Cori Pim-Keirle (@greencardmonkey) June 9, 2020

COMMERCIAL OPPORTUNITY: There is now a gap in the market for a new and really aggressively racist tea brand, for arseholes to drink https://t.co/JLZJALXeKH

— Stuart Heritage (@stuheritage) June 8, 2020

More Black Lives Matter protests are planned for this week and Boris Johnson has said they had awakened an “incontrovertible, undeniable feeling of injustice” worldwide.

Floyd, who died after a police officer in Minneapolis restrained him by holding a knee on his neck, will be buried in his home town of Houston in Texas on Tuesday.

This country is more than it's government and even though I'm not a tea-drinker, #solidaritea epitomises why I love UK.

Thank you Yorkshire Tea and PG Tips for providing a ray of light at a gloomy time.#solidaritea - the most British hashtag ever! pic.twitter.com/LfR1dwmOGJ

— KT #ExposingHypocrisy Parker (@lunaperla) June 8, 2020

A symbolic and socially distanced commemoration is planned at the Nelson Mandela statue in Parliament Square in London at 5pm, organised by Stand Up To Racism.

Following protests across the UK on the weekend, the prime minister – who had previously condemned the “thuggery” by a minority that marred some demonstrations – acknowledged many of the activists’ concerns were “founded on a cold reality”.

He said leaders “simply can’t ignore” concerns that Black, Asian and minority ethnic (Bame) groups face discrimination in education, employment and in law.

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