Latino Community Groups Plan Discount Tire Boycott for ‘Re-Elect Arpaio’ Signs

(Featured Photo By: Johnny Lozoya)

The entire Discount Tire chain is in hot water after choosing to post “Re-Elect Sheriff Joe Arpaio” signs in the windows at one of their stores.

It all started on social media, when a picture of a Discount Tire’s store window went viral, showing the Arpaio campaign poster on one of their stores. The chain has 49 stores in Maricopa County, and it is not known how many more have posted similar signs.

Latino advocacy groups Puente Human Rights Movement and Somos America have kicked off a boycott against the chain. On Thursday, Puente shared a video on social media showing community leaders and organizers gathered at a South phoenix Discount Store, speaking against the chain.

A protest has been planned for Saturday outside a Discount Tire store in west Phoenix. One Arizona, a coalition started in 2010 in direct response to Arizona’s anti-immigration bill SB 1070, has also called for a boycott against Discount Tire.

In an interview with 12 News, Attorney and activist Danny Ortega said he’s outraged by the store’s public support for the sheriff. He sent out the following message to company executives: “You are supporting that candidate in the face of how he has treated our community? I’m taking my business elsewhere.”

Ortega went on to say he was a regular customer at Discount Tire’s South Phoenix store before he learned of the incident.

“Every business ought to be very cautious about how they make a public display — an in-your-face display — of who they support,” he added.

Discount Tire has yet to respond on the incident, but some stores have already removed the Arpaio campaign signs following the backlash on social media.

Discount Tire Company has more than 900 stores in 31 states around the U.S.