Extinction Rebellion Arrested Spray-Painting NYC Apple Store in Climate, Trump Protest

Climate activists from Extinction Rebellion staged a protest at Apple's flagship Fifth Avenue store in New York City, spray-painting slogans such as "Boycott" and "Tim + Trump = Toxic" to accuse Apple and other Big Tech companies of environmental hypocrisy. The protesters criticized Apple CEO Tim Cook and other tech leaders for supporting President Donald Trump's 2025 inauguration despite their prior endorsements of the Paris Agreement, accusing them of betraying environmental commitments while backing an administration rolling back climate protections and supporting fossil fuels. During the protest, one man was arrested for vandalism, while other activists chanted slogans like "Dump Trump, Apple." Extinction Rebellion highlighted the contradiction between tech companies' green branding and their actions, including increasing energy consumption tied to AI development. The group also called for a boycott of tech companies they say enable authoritarianism and expanded fossil fuel use. Apple and its leadership are thus facing intensified public scrutiny over their environmental policies amid political and climate challenges.