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 Hudsonâs Bay Co. for carrying Ivanka Trumpâs fashion line during two demonstrations in the Toronto area planned for Saturday.
The women call themselves the âPeeved Beavers,â and they have a bone to pick with HBC.
The Peeved Beavers are demanding the Canadian retailer drop Ivanka Trumpâs fashion and accessories line and are encouraging consumers to boycott, or â,â 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 fatherâs controversial policies throughout his campaign and in the current administration. Policies which she believes go against Canadian values.
âShe [Ivanka] is part of this administration. She may not have a title, but sheâs mixing public office with personal gain and we feel thatâs just never appropriate,â St. Jean said in an interview from Guelph, Ont. on Thursday.
St. Jean also explained why they are specifically targeting Hudsonâs Bay Co.
âI think the Bay is the priority because of their stock. from jewelry to shoes and boots and also clothing,â she said.
âPlus, 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.â
St. Jean has been heavily involved in a U.S. anti-Trump campaign started by Shannon Coulter , which encourages consumers who disagree with the presidentâs policies to boycott stores selling the Trump familyâs merchandise. The Peeved Beavers is a Canadian offshoot of the movement.
St. Jean and Coulter said they have both asked HBC about dropping Ivankaâs brand, but they havenât received a response, which is why the Peeved Beavers have organized a protest.
Hudsonâs Bay spokesperson, Tiffany Bourre, said the retailer aims to deliver a âstrong assortmentâ of fashion in an email to CTVNews.ca.
âWe respect our customersâ right to choose the brands that work for them. In turn, our customersâ choices inform our decisions on which merchandise we offer,â 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 theyâre only expecting 10 to 15 members at the two planned protests on Saturday, so they can control the protest, and stay in character.
âWeâre thinking of it as almost being a piece of performance art,â Spencer said. âWeâre there to interact with passersby for a period of time and bring some attention to the issue.â
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 âfun and artfulâ to contrast some of the âheavinessâ in the world right now.
St. Jean said a first âpracticeâ 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 â,â to oppose the #Baycott campaign. Bae told CTVNews.ca that he created the group to counter the boycott demands and show his support for Ivankaâs designs.
âCanadians protesting a Canadian store over products that the American presidentâs daughter sells⌠Itâs a little bit silly to me,â Bae said in a phone interview from Vancouver, B.C. on Thursday.
Protesting the Bay because it sells Ivankaâs brand is illogical and âguilt by association,â he said, because the presidentâs daughter doesnât have an official role in the administration. He said itâs unfair to target Ivanka because of her fatherâs policies.
Shannon Coulter, the creator of the Grab Your Wallet campaign, takes an opposite view when it comes to Ivankaâs 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.
âItâs a complete myth that sheâs just daughter. Sheâs not. Sheâs a key part of this administration,â 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.
âIn 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?â Bae questioned.
The Vancouver-based actor went on to argue that protesters who view Trumpâs policies as intolerant are actually being intolerant themselves.
âThese people protesting Ivanka at the Bay, theyâre basically trying to limit choice for all other Canadians, which personally, I find to be totally unfair and itâs not very liberal,â Bae said. âIf youâre so insistent on having your way, you become a little totalitarian and tyrannical.â
An exchange of ideas
The Peeved Beavers said theyâre 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 sheâs supporting the women in their boycott of Hudsonâs Bay Co.
âIn the short term, the goal is to be able to do business with companies we love with a clear conscience,â Coulter said. âIn the long term, the goal is a more respectful, inclusive society.â