Armed with distinctive blonde wigs, pursed lips and red power ties, a group of Ontario women are planning to dress up as U.S. President Donald Trump to protest the Hudson鈥檚 Bay Co. for carrying Ivanka Trump鈥檚 fashion line during two demonstrations in the Toronto area planned for Saturday.
The women call themselves the 鈥淧eeved Beavers,鈥� and they have a bone to pick with HBC.
The Peeved Beavers are demanding the Canadian retailer drop Ivanka Trump鈥檚 fashion and accessories line and are encouraging consumers to boycott, or 鈥�,鈥� the store until it does. Amanda St. Jean, a member of the newly-formed group, told CTVNews.ca that Ivanka Trump has a lot of influence on her father鈥檚 controversial policies throughout his campaign and in the current administration. Policies which she believes go against Canadian values.
鈥淪he [Ivanka] is part of this administration. She may not have a title, but she鈥檚 mixing public office with personal gain and we feel that鈥檚 just never appropriate,鈥� St. Jean said in an interview from Guelph, Ont. on Thursday.
St. Jean also explained why they are specifically targeting Hudson鈥檚 Bay Co.
鈥淚 think the Bay is the priority because of their stock. from jewelry to shoes and boots and also clothing,鈥� she said.
鈥淧lus, they market themselves as the iconic Canadian department store and we would point out that the values of the Trump administration are not the same as what I think are Canadian values.鈥�
St. Jean has been heavily involved in a U.S. anti-Trump campaign started by Shannon Coulter , which encourages consumers who disagree with the president鈥檚 policies to boycott stores selling the Trump family鈥檚 merchandise. The Peeved Beavers is a Canadian offshoot of the movement.
St. Jean and Coulter said they have both asked HBC about dropping Ivanka鈥檚 brand, but they haven鈥檛 received a response, which is why the Peeved Beavers have organized a protest.
Hudson鈥檚 Bay spokesperson, Tiffany Bourre, said the retailer aims to deliver a 鈥渟trong assortment鈥� of fashion in an email to CTVNews.ca.
鈥淲e respect our customers鈥� right to choose the brands that work for them. In turn, our customers鈥� choices inform our decisions on which merchandise we offer,鈥� Bourre wrote.
St. Jean estimates that, since their secret Facebook group was created three or four weeks ago, it has grown to include approximately 30 members. Amanda Spencer, another Peeved Beaver, says they鈥檙e only expecting 10 to 15 members at the two planned protests on Saturday, so they can control the protest, and stay in character.
鈥淲e鈥檙e thinking of it as almost being a piece of performance art,鈥� Spencer said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e there to interact with passersby for a period of time and bring some attention to the issue.鈥�
The two women said their Trump imitations (with maybe a few Steve Bannons and Kellyanne Conways thrown into the mix for good measure) are intended to be 鈥渇un and artful鈥� to contrast some of the 鈥渉eaviness鈥� in the world right now.
St. Jean said a first 鈥減ractice鈥� protest will be held at the Square One Shopping Centre in Mississauga, from 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m., followed by the second protest at the flagship Bay store located at the Toronto Eaton Centre, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Defending Ivanka
Supporters of Ivanka Trump have organized their own counter-protests too, including the #BuyIvanka hashtag that gained traction on Twitter after U.S.-based retailer Nordstrom dropped her products. Nordstrom cited poor sales, rather than political reasons, for its decision to stop stocking Ivanka Trump products.
In Canada, Charles Edward Bae created a Facebook group, called 鈥�,鈥� to oppose the #Baycott campaign. Bae told CTVNews.ca that he created the group to counter the boycott demands and show his support for Ivanka鈥檚 designs.
鈥淐anadians protesting a Canadian store over products that the American president鈥檚 daughter sells鈥� It鈥檚 a little bit silly to me,鈥� Bae said in a phone interview from Vancouver, B.C. on Thursday.
Protesting the Bay because it sells Ivanka鈥檚 brand is illogical and 鈥済uilt by association,鈥� he said, because the president鈥檚 daughter doesn鈥檛 have an official role in the administration. He said it鈥檚 unfair to target Ivanka because of her father鈥檚 policies.
Shannon Coulter, the creator of the Grab Your Wallet campaign, takes an opposite view when it comes to Ivanka鈥檚 influence in the White House, arguing that Ivanka campaigned for Trump even after the leak of a now-infamous video that featured his crude remarks about women. Coulter said the first daughter was an official part of the transition team, regularly meets with business and world leaders and directly shapes policy through her relationship with her father.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a complete myth that she鈥檚 just daughter. She鈥檚 not. She鈥檚 a key part of this administration,鈥� Coulter said during a phone interview from San Francisco on Thursday.
Bae, on the other hand, said Ivanka has continually advocated for female empowerment and should even be considered a role model for women boycotting her line.
鈥淚n what way do they have any evidence that Ivanka is in any way against human rights or the advancement of women or all of these values that Canadians hold dear?鈥� Bae questioned.
The Vancouver-based actor went on to argue that protesters who view Trump鈥檚 policies as intolerant are actually being intolerant themselves.
鈥淭hese people protesting Ivanka at the Bay, they鈥檙e basically trying to limit choice for all other Canadians, which personally, I find to be totally unfair and it鈥檚 not very liberal,鈥� Bae said. 鈥淚f you鈥檙e so insistent on having your way, you become a little totalitarian and tyrannical.鈥�
An exchange of ideas
The Peeved Beavers said they鈥檙e simply engaging in a healthy and respectful exchange of ideas, which they said is integral in any democracy.
Coulter knows St. Jean from their work together on the Grab Your Wallet movement and said she鈥檚 supporting the women in their boycott of Hudson鈥檚 Bay Co.
鈥淚n the short term, the goal is to be able to do business with companies we love with a clear conscience,鈥� Coulter said. 鈥淚n the long term, the goal is a more respectful, inclusive society.鈥�
