I am looking for practical ideas and suggestions about how to organize a Koch brothers boycott on a neighborhood/regional scale
Many here are familiar by now of the list and image of Koch Brothers products to be boycotted by those concerned about the attempts of oligarchs like Charles and David Koch to buy our democracy.
A local progressive group that I belong to, the Mid Hudson Progressive Alliance, which is based in Beacon, NY (in the NY 19th district) wants to plan a local campaign against the Koch brothers. We are hoping to show the film Koch Brothers Exposed. We are also hoping to spread the word about the Koch Brothers in a more grassroots way.
I should add that this group has been pretty active on a variety of fronts. A number of our members volunteered in the Obama campaign as well as the John Hall for Congress campaign, though we had not officially endorsed Obama. We have participated in a number of events against the Iraq War and for addressing climate change. We recently sponsored a local event with Chris Hedges, which was very well attended.We had Coleen Rowley speak at another well attended event. Pete Seeger often performs at our events.
We now want to focus on the Koch empire.
One suggestion that I had made at our meeting yesterday was to set up an information table and to give out literature to shoppers planning to enter some of our local supermarkets. We have a Key Foods right in Beacon and we have a Shop-Rite, a Stop and Shop, a Target, a Walmart, and various other big chains nearby. We would love to spend a few Saturday afternoons educating fellow citizens about the cancer of the Koch Brothers (and those like them) on our democracy.
But here is the question. Can we do this? Do we need permission to do this? If so, are the supermarkets likely to grant us this permission, or will they turn us down? I am assuming that the supermarkets won't want us there. If so, I am wondering if there is any way around this? Most of the supermarkets are inside of large enclosed parking lots, which belong to the stores or (or to a shopping plaza, for which the supermarket or the super store is the anchor store). This is the suburbs, after all, and this is how most people shop. We could probably set up a table near our local farmers' market, and we would be likely preaching to the already converted. We really want to reach workers and in particular those who may not be all that politically aware. And we want to reach as many as we can. So, any suggestions? Have any of you had this sort of experience before?
Thanks for any advice or suggestions which I will certainly share with my fellow Alliance members here in the Mid Hudson Valley.