Opinion
30 Jan 17

#DeleteUber: Why users delete the app as a protest against Trump

Since Sunday hundreds of Uber users deleted the app from their phones or closed their accounts after the driving company didn’t take part in the taxi strike at New York’s JFK Airport.

The hashtag #DeleteUber trended on Twitter on Sunday, when users from all over the U.S., with also other countries joining in, shared pictures of deleting the Uber app from their phones. The reason: While the taxi drivers of New York encouraged a strike at JFK Airport protesting against Trump’s immigration policy, the driving service continued to pick up passengers from the airport instead of joining the protests.

The strike of the New York taxi drivers was a one-hour protest responding to Donald Trump’s recent immigration ban by refusing to collect any costumers and joined the protest at the airport’s terminal 4.

After Trump passed his highly controversial executive order concerning immigration in the U.S, he earned a lot of critic from all over the world. The order prohibits the entry of refugees, but also other persons from 7 countries. Since all of the affected countries are by the majority Muslim, Trumps decree was considered as highly discriminating.

At different airports around the U.S. people therefore gathered for protests against the ban, showing their solidarity with all immigrants stuck at airports or abroad.

While the New York Taxi Workers Alliance (NYTWA) supported the protests with their taxi strike, Uber announced on Twitter that surged pricing was turned off and continued offering their services. The company was accused by the protesters to deliberately break the strike in order to gain profit from the situation.

Earlier that day, the NYTWA announced the strike in social media and urged other drivers to join in and “stand in solidarity” with the refugees, also stating that they “go to work to welcome people” to America.

Although Uber apologized, saying they didn’t meant to break the protest and they were sorry for any confusion, many users started sharing #DeleteUber on their Twitter accounts to show their support for those who are affected by the ban and their disapproval for the company’s decision

#deleteUber Here's the NY Taxi Workers Alliance Statement on the refugee ban. @Uber is still trying to go to JFK anyway pic.twitter.com/qQAkPm2r9s

— Eric Murphy (@EricRMurphy) January 29, 2017

@Uber Deleted Uber app you scab company that's making profit of trumps Muslim ban #DeleteUber pic.twitter.com/he3zQlVbfs

— Ogsmokz (@OGsmokz1) January 30, 2017

Whatever I didn't care for those surging rates anyway *flips hair ?#deleteuber #ByeUber #GrabYourWallet pic.twitter.com/D0BEmosre5

— Feroza Ejaz (@FerozaEjaz) January 30, 2017

I've used .@uber for years. No more. Their CEO is colluding with Trump and has chosen not to decry the ban.

I'm deleting. Please join me. pic.twitter.com/UkTFOOvtck

— Julieanne Smolinski (@BoobsRadley) January 29, 2017