Group boycotts Miller Brewing Co. for support of immigration march

(Student Publication)

Ashley Doyle, Senior Staff Writer
Issue date: 9/15/06 Section: Community
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Media Credit: Alex Turvy
Miller signs will continue to glow in Oxford, where no uptown bars plan to participate in the boycott against the company.


Willam Gheen, president of Americans for Legal Immigration, recently told college students: "Don't drink the Beast."

Gheen was telling students to avoid Milwaukee's Best Light not because of the beer's taste or brewing processes, rather because Miller Brewing Co. donated a large sum to a immigrants' rights march in Chicago, Ill.

So it's been goodbye to Miller Beer for thousands of Americans who are refusing to drink products made by Miller, after a Sept. 1 article released by The Chicago Tribune. The article reported that the company gave more than $30,000 to fund planning, materials and advertising for the Immigrant Workers Justice Walk held on Labor Day in Chicago.

Four days after the release of this information, the National Illegal Immigration Boycott Coalition launched a boycott and petition with hopes of gaining support against illegal immigration by encouraging Americans to stop purchasing Miller products. The coalition stressed the need to enforce immigration laws, secure borders and punish companies that hire, aid and abet illegal aliens.

However Oxford, Ohio, will not be seeing the effects of the boycott anytime soon as every bar uptown plans to continue selling Miller products.

"It's a matter of economics verses politics," said Joe Schlosser, manager of Mac & Joe's. "It's not necessarily affecting people in this region economically, but it's a political issue more than anything. We will most likely not participate in it."

Mike Salerno, a Miami University senior, said he did not see the parade donation as grounds to avoid Miller beer, but that he does not drink much anyway.

"They have to do a little something more than give $30,000 to an organization that lead a march for me to boycott their product."

Upon hearing of the allegations from the boycott coalition, Miller denied that it supports illegal immigration and said that the money they donated was given to an immigration convention in Chicago that works toward helping immigrants to become legal citizens of the United States - something that the corporation is in favor of.

"(Miller has) tried to deny that they support illegal immigration, which is a lie," Gheen said. "They have claimed they support the enforcement of existing laws, which is a lie because executive laws call for illegals to be deported. They are trying to say they'll no longer give money to (immigrants' rights) groups like that but we are not convinced."

More than 7,600 people across the United States have signed the online petition boycotting Miller products, and more than 100 organizations have joined in the boycott against Miller products along with SAB Miller, Miller's London-based affiliate.

The main products being targeted are Miller Lite, Ice House, Fosters and Milwaukee's Best Light.

"We want to continue to expand the boycott until Miller gives us assurance that they will stop this nasty behavior," Gheen said.

The boycott has taken its toll on the sales of Miller Beer and stocks in the company, which have declined steadily every day since the boycott was launched. The coalition is standing their ground, showing no signs of backing down anytime in the near future.

Miller released a statement Sept. 5 assuring their consumers that they have never supported illegal immigration, and have always supported the full enforcement of current U.S. laws.

They also plan on reviewing requests for support from community and charitable organizations to be sure that they are not indirectly associating the name "Miller" with advocacy efforts on the immigration issue. Lastly, they plan on continuing to stick to the business of brewing, marketing and selling their beer.

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