What did Ben and Jerry's do to make everybody mad? 4th of July boycott controversy explained

American ice cream and sorbet manufacturing company Ben and Jerry's sparked online controversy after it posted a woke tweet on Independence Day. On July 4, the Vermont-based company took to its Twitter handle to share its thoughts on the national holiday.

The company said that it's "high time" that people recognize that America "exists on stolen Indigenous land," and urged people to return it.

The statement sparked an immense backlash from internet users who compared Ben and Jerry's situation to Bud Light, which also faced criticism due to its work efforts.

In April 2023, Bud Light was publicly thrashed by social media users and conservatives for collaborating with trans activist Dylan Mulvaney after it sent her customized beer cans to celebrate 365 days of womanhood.

---

Ben and Jerry's post garnered backlash on Twitter

After Ben and Jerry's controversial tweet on the Fourth of July went viral, Twitterati slammed the ice cream and sorbet company. Several users compared the company's values and thought process to Bud Light, which was boycotted to the point that it suffered financially.

Some users urged the company to donate their indigenous land to America first and then asked to call out others. Twitter users also pointed out how Ben and Jerry's is a Vermont-based company and asked the ice cream company to return their lands to the Abenaki tribe who used to reside in the state.

Screenshot of a Twitter user remarking on the ice cream company's controversial Fourth of July post. (Photo via @benandjerrys/Twitter)

Screenshot of a Twitter user remarking on the ice cream company's controversial Fourth of July post. (Photo via @benandjerrys/Twitter)

Screenshot of a Twitter user remarking on the ice cream company's controversial Fourth of July post. (Photo via @benandjerrys/Twitter)

Screenshot of a Twitter user remarking on the ice cream company's controversial Fourth of July post. (Photo via @benandjerrys/Twitter)

Screenshot of a Twitter user remarking on the ice cream company's controversial Fourth of July post. (Photo via @benandjerrys/Twitter)

Screenshot of a Twitter user remarking on the ice cream company's controversial Fourth of July post. (Photo via @benandjerrys/Twitter)

Screenshot of a Twitter user remarking on the ice cream company's controversial Fourth of July post. (Photo via @benandjerrys/Twitter)

Screenshot of a Twitter user remarking on the ice cream company's controversial Fourth of July post. (Photo via @benandjerrys/Twitter)

Screenshot of a Twitter user remarking on the ice cream company's controversial Fourth of July post. (Photo via @benandjerrys/Twitter)

Screenshot of a Twitter user remarking on the ice cream company's controversial Fourth of July post. (Photo via @benandjerrys/Twitter)

---

Ben and Jerry's acknowledged the criticism that its tweet garnered online, which has so far gotten 11.7K likes and 2,424 retweets. In a statement issued to TMZ, the company said:

"What is the meaning of Independence Day for those whose land this country stole, those who were murdered and forced with brutal violence onto reservations, those who were pushed from their holy places and denied their freedom. The faces on Mount Rushmore are the faces of men who actively worked to destroy Indigenous cultures and ways of life, to deny Indigenous people their basic rights."

The online backlash comes after Ben and Jerry's announced that it won't be advertising its products on Twitter because of the rise in "hate speech" on the social media platform ever since Elon Musk took over as the CEO.

This is not the first time that Ben and Jerry's has faced boycott calls. In 2021, customers in the U.S. boycotted the company after it said it would stop selling its ice cream in Israel's "Occupied Palestinian Territory," which includes the West Bank and Gaza Strip.