Burger King Worker Fired After Saying ‘Free Palestine’ Has Raised $240k
What happened between a Burger King worker and a customer that led to her firing and a $237,000 fundraiser?
Arianna Hamilton, a former Burger King employee who was fired after telling a customer “Free Palestine,” has raised $239,378 (as of writing) through a GoFundMe campaign. Hamilton lost her job after an interaction with Rami Feinstein, an American musician who was ordering food with his family at a Burger King franchise in Breinigsville, Pennsylvania.
Feinstein recorded part of the encounter and posted the video online, saying he felt uncomfortable after identifying himself as being from Israel and hearing Hamilton respond, “Free Palestine.” Hamilton later shared her own video about the incident, saying she was expressing her political views and did not intend to discriminate against Feinstein.
Feinstein says the exchange began with a question about where he was from
In the video Feinstein originally posted, he said he was ordering food for his family when Hamilton asked where he was from. Feinstein said he told her he was from Israel, after which Hamilton responded, “Free Palestine.”
Feinstein questioned what the comment had to do with his family ordering food and asked Hamilton to repeat herself. After she again said “Free Palestine,” Feinstein said he and his family requested a refund and left the restaurant.
He later ended the video by asking whether Burger King was a safe place for Jews. Feinstein’s account of the encounter became the subject of further discussion online, with Hamilton later providing her own version of what happened.
Hamilton said she had asked Feinstein where he was from in the context of where customers visiting the Lehigh Valley were traveling from. She said he initially told her he was from New Jersey before later identifying himself as Israeli and showing her a Star of David necklace.
Hamilton said that was when she responded, “Free Palestine.” She also characterized the interaction as aggressive and said Feinstein put a camera in her face.
Hamilton says she was expressing her political views
Hamilton addressed her firing in the same video, saying she had been told she was dismissed because she discriminated against Feinstein and used hate speech. She rejected that characterization and said she intended express her views rather than spread hate.
Hamilton said she supports “Free Palestine” and “Free Gaza” and wanted to speak about the humanitarian situation in Gaza. She said she would continue expressing those views and would not be afraid to say what she thinks.
Hamilton also said she had received threats following the incident, which she attributed to people from Israel. She ended the video by asking whether Burger King was safe for Palestinians.
Burger King said its restaurants should be places where “everyone should feel welcome, respected and free from discrimination.” The company added that it has “zero tolerance for antisemitism, hate or discrimination of any kind” and said it was working with the franchisee that owns and operates the restaurant.
After Hamilton launched her GoFundMe, Feinstein posted another video responding to the situation. He acknowledged Burger King’s public statement, said he understood that Hamilton had been fired, and disputed Hamilton’s characterization of the incident as an exercise of free speech. He argued that the comment was made while she was working at Burger King and wearing the company’s uniform, while he was a customer ordering food with his family.
In the update, Feinstein said he believes antisemitism should be confronted but argued that doing so does not always require recording an incident and posting it online. He described a separate incident during a family road trip in which his 11-year-old son found antisemitic writing in a gas station bathroom.
Feinstein said he spoke with the gas station manager instead of recording the incident, and the manager agreed to have the writing removed. He used the experience to argue that Jewish people should not feel they have to make themselves less visible to avoid discrimination.
Hamilton launched her GoFundMe titled Support Arianna After Job Loss for Free Speech after losing her job. In the fundraiser’s description, she said donations would help cover rent, utilities, groceries, transportation and other living expenses while she searches for new employment.
Hamilton also said the money would help her support her family and continue working toward her goal of attending college. She said the controversy surrounding her firing has made her job search more difficult because some potential employers have misunderstood the circumstances of the incident.
In a later update, Hamilton thanked donors and addressed comments about the fundraiser’s increasing goal. She explained that the fundraising platform automatically raises the goal when a campaign gets close to reaching its previous target, saying she was not manually changing the amount.
Hamilton said the support has been meaningful to her and her family, particularly her mother. She also said she is still looking for work and hopes the money will provide stability while she pursues employment and college.
Hamilton plans to give some surplus donations to Palestine
Hamilton’s fundraiser also explains what she plans to do if she receives more money than she needs for her stated expenses. She said that if donations exceed what she requires for rent, groceries, utilities and other costs, she plans to donate a portion of the surplus to families in Palestine.
In her update, Hamilton also asked followers to tell her about other fundraisers she could support. She said she wants to use the attention surrounding her own campaign to support other causes and continue discussing issues affecting Palestinian, Muslim and other communities.
The fundraiser remains active, with Hamilton continuing to look for work while using the donations for the expenses outlined in her campaign.
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