#DeleteUber campaign grows after taxi strike over Donald Trump’s Muslim immigration ban
The ride-sharing app lost hundreds of users Saturday night
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Hundreds of social media users began deleting their Uber applications Saturday night after the company was accused of breaking the taxi driver strike in New York City amidst protests against President Donald Trump’s ban on Muslim immigrants.
Drivers affiliated with the New York Taxi Workers Alliance refused to pick up passengers 6pm and 7pm Saturday night while protesters demonstrated against President Trump’s executive order inside John F. Kennedy International Airport.
Nearly 30 minutes after the initial strike ended, Uber announced that it had suspended surge pricing in the area. “Surge pricing has been turned off at #JFK Airport,” the company tweeted. “This may result in longer wait times. Please be patient.”
This initiated hundreds of Twitter users to condemn the company and #DeleteUber began trending worldwide. People began sharing screenshots of themselves deleting the ride sharing application from their cellphones.
Shortly after the hashtag picked up steam, the company claimed that it never intended to gain profits off the strike. “Last tweet not meant to break strike,” the company said on Twitter, while sharing CEO Travis Kalanick’s official statement on the travel ban on Muslim-majority countries.
Mr Kalanick and his company also faced criticism after he joined the president’s business advisory council. In his statement regarding the ban, he promised to compensate drivers from the seven countries who may be banned from reentering the country.
"This ban will impact many innocent people,” he said, “an issue that I will raise this coming Friday when I go to Washington for President Trump's first business advisory group meeting.”
Meanwhile, Uber’s competition capitalized on their misfortune. Lyft, Uber’s rival, issued a statement condemning the executive actions while promising to donate $1 million to the American Civil Liberties Union.
“Banning people of a particular faith or creed, race or identity, sexuality or ethnicity, from entering the U.S. is antithetical to both Lyft’s and our nation’s core values,” the company’s statement read. “We stand firmly against these actions, and will not be silent on issues that threaten the values of our community.”