Viral Video: Did Pakistani Biz School Students Boycott Coca-Cola's Recruitment Drive Over Gaza War?

Students from a renowned Pakistani business school, located in the city of Karachi, reportedly staged a boycott against the multinational beverage behemoth Coca-Cola during a recent recruitment drive. An undated viral video, which News18 couldn’t verify independently, purportedly shows the students leaving the event as a Coca-Cola representative begins speaking.

According to some Pakistani journalists on social media platform X, the boycott was intended to express solidarity with the Palestinian cause. The video, which surfaced on social media on March 27, has gained millions of views since its release. While the faces of the students and officials are blurred in the footage, the setting appears to be an auditorium. In the video, some students can be seen holding placards as they exit the venue while the presentation continues on stage.

‘Solidarity with Palestine’

The protest comes amid Israel’s military campaign in the Gaza Strip, triggered by a surprise attack launched by Hamas on southern Israel on October 7. Following the attack, Israel vowed to eradicate Hamas’ presence in Gaza. Israel’s war in Gaza has killed at least 32,845 Palestinians, according to the territory’s Health Ministry. The war has displaced most of the territory’s population and driven a third of its residents to the brink of famine.

“Proud, honourable, brave. Students at a prestigious university in Karachi walk out on a Coca-Cola recruitment drive to protest the ongoing violence in Palestine. Let there be more of this! After the youth rising in the Arab world, you made us proud of the youth of Pakistan,” said one of the users on X. “The students of Pakistan’s leading educational institution IBA Karachi made a bold demonstration to show solidarity with Palestine and rejected the job offer from Coca-Cola. When the representative of Coca-Cola came on stage, the students picked up the Palestinian,” said another user, who backed this move.

‘Most prestigious employers’

While most Pakistanis online supported the boycott, some presented a critical view of this move. “These Pakistani students just ditched Coca-Cola’s big recruitment event one of the most prestigious employers attempting 2 create job opportunities in Pakistan. Ironically, they’re the ones making TikToks lamenting the lack of jobs in Pakistan and questioning the value of their degrees,” said one of the users on X.

Muslim-majority Pakistan, known for its critical stance on Israeli actions, initially responded cautiously, with interim Pak Prime Minister Anwaar ul Haq Kakar expressing dismay over the war. Meanwhile, President Asif Ali Zardari called on the international community to facilitate the unhindered flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza and ensure the protection of Palestinian civilians amid ongoing Israeli airstrikes. Zardari’s remarks came during a meeting with Palestine’s Ambassador to Pakistan, Ahmed Jawad Rabei, in the capital city of Islamabad.