No Can Do: Coca-Cola, Palestine and Scotland

Scotland and the Coca-Cola company have a fraught relationship. Irn-Bru, Scotland’s fluorescent-orange source of national pride, has pipped Coke as the country’s highest-selling soft drink ever since the American rival first crossed the Atlantic – remaining one of the few countries to resist the beverage giant’s global dominion. Donald Trump infamously banned Irn-Bru at his Turnberry Golf Resort, leading to an outpouring of support for Scotland’s beverage underdog against America’s own orange icon.  

But in December 2024, the tenuous relationship between Scottish consumers and Coca-Cola’s portfolio of brands (including Fanta, Schweppes and Costa Coffee) took a significant turn. Coca-Cola was added to the priority boycott list of the Palestinian-led BDS (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions) movement, due to the multinational corporation’s operation of a regional distribution centre in the Atarot Settlement Industrial Zone in East Jerusalem. The settlement was established in breach of international law, according to the United Nations Security Council, on land belonging to the Palestinian people. Momentum behind this boycott has been steadily growing since the announcement from BDS.

Amongst the Scots involved in the boycott are members of Unite Union working at the Glasgow Film Festival. The charity-run cinema became the subject of national press attention during the 12-day Glasgow Film Festival in early March. A spokesperson for the GFT’s Union explained the events which led to the boycott: “[The decision] was a combination of Coca-Cola being added to [the] BDS boycott list and us being approached by Art Workers For Palestine Scotland to sign their open letter to the GFT.” The letter called on the GFT to commit to BDS compliance through removing Barclays’ adverts and certain products, including Coca-Cola, from the cinema’s bar. 

Sales of Coca-Cola at the GFT may be a drop in the ocean for the drinks behemoth (whose products are consumed over 2.2 billion times each day), yet the ensuing attention has placed Coca-Cola’s ethics under greater scrutiny. “This is one of the most meaningful and tangible steps workers (and employers) can take in solidarity with the Palestinian struggle against the ongoing Israeli genocide,” says the representative for the GFT’s union. “The hope is that it will have a knock-on effect in which workers will push their employers to boycott the likes of Coca-Cola and become BDS compliant.”

Restaurants, coffee shops and grocery stores across Scotland are following suit –  removing the distinctive red cans in favour of colas emblazoned with the red, white and green of the Palestinian flag. Instagram user @scotlandforpalestine has created a Google map to pinpoint venues stocking alternatives to Coca-Cola, using the hashtag #ApartheidFreeCola. Venues such as Frankie Coffee in Glasgow, Ground Floor in Edinburgh, and Marmalade Deli in Lochgilphead have subbed their Coca-Cola stock for Palestinian-owned brands.

For Gull’s Grocery in Edinburgh, the decision to boycott all goods connected with Israel’s unlawful occupation was obvious. “As a Trans-owned and Queer-run business, we stand with any peoples facing oppression, so standing with Palestine was a natural choice for us,” the grocer’s staff told us. The shop supplies Palestinian-owned products, including Gaza Cola UK, a London-based cola brand whose profits are redirected to the reconstruction of the Al-Karama hospital.

The decision has proved popular: “Our customers are very supportive… We've been struggling to keep up with demand so far!” The design of the Palestinian-owned drinks brand is modelled on the globally recognisable Coca-Cola packaging – with the addition of Arabic calligraphy and the interlocking pattern of the Keffiyeh, a symbol of Palestinian identity and resistance. The eye-catching drinks inevitably lead to curiosity from customers. “It’s been a great conversation starter,” they say, “[and a way] to keep Palestine in our everyday discussions.” As the death toll of Palestinians killed by the Israeli military campaign rises to over 50,000, such conversations are all the more necessary. 

Part-cafe, part-radio station, Cafe Buena Vida in Glasgow’s Southside echoes this commitment to ethical suppliers. “We're scrapping [products on the BDS list] in favour of more deserving brands where the profits are being used for good causes,” says David Fleming, who co-founded Cafe Buena Vida with partner, Suz O’Neill. Cafe Buena Vida consistently supports smaller producers, most recently by stocking Palestine Cola. Branded as the ‘Cola with a Conscience’, all profits of the soft drink are redirected to the Safad Foundation, whose work to improve education and healthcare within Palestinian communities struck a chord. “We began seeing cola alternatives online with Gaza [and] Palestine [in their] name”, says Fleming. “We did a bit of exploring and we were delighted to see a UK-based company called Yaffa who stock all manner of Palestinian goods.” 

For O’Neill, the logistics behind stocking Palestinian products still has some way to go. “People have sent us [messages] to say, ‘Where have you got [Palestine Cola]? We'd like to start stocking it as well,’” she says. “If one business finds a logistical way [to stock Palestinian products], then it facilitates other businesses being able to do the same thing… It's not about being performative. It's about actually getting the practical system in place so people can easily buy alternatives.” The infrastructure to support the boycott is taking shape with the hard work of globally-minded, locally-based businesses, such as Cafe Buena Vida. 

So, can the Coca-Cola boycott work? The drinks manufacturer isn’t entirely immune to pressure from vocal customers. Two weeks after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Coca-Cola ceased operations in Russia, largely in response to calls to boycott the company. This isn’t the first time Scotland has spoken up on behalf of peoples facing oppression either. As Fleming puts it: “There are many examples over history of the Scots being activists, fighting for what's right and standing up for the underdogs… [It’s about] rejecting the notion that things can't be changed.” Through grassroots activism, decisive steps and unwavering solidarity with the Palestinian people, the yoke of mega corporations like Coca-Cola might just be lifted.

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Cafe Buena Vida, 535 Victoria Rd, Glasgow
The Gull's Grocery, 124a Ferry Rd, Edinburgh
Myrtle Boot is a writer, artist and DJ based in Edinburgh, whose previous work touches on public art, Scottish nightlife and youth culture. With six years of hospitality experience under her belt, she's interested in the politics and culture of food and drink

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This article is from issue two of GNAW, our new Scottish food and drink magazine. Free copies are available in venues across Scotland, or read the full thing via Issuu. Follow GNAW on Instagram @gnawmag