This is what people power looks like. The Ekō movement is
winning big – for animals, for people under occupation, and for
the future of technology itself.
From shutting down dolphin torture tanks in Mexico, to forcing
global shipping giants to reckon with apartheid, to protecting the
future of AI from billionaire takeover, these wins show
exactly what we can achieve when we rise up together.
Ending
dolphin cruelty: Mexico passes the historic Mincho Law
![A news article with a Spanish headline proclaiming the Mincho Law win, reading ‘Mincho Law approved, the initiative that protects dolphins and marine mammals in captivity.’ Below the headline is an image of three dolphins swimming side by side near the surface of clear blue ocean water, with sunlight reflecting off their bodies.]()
It started with a heartbreaking viral video. Mincho the dolphin
was forced to perform tricks at a Barceló hotel in Mexico, until one
day he slammed head-first onto the concrete and lay there,
motionless. Public outrage exploded – and Ekō members took
action.
Thousands came together to demand justice, calling for the
immediate shutdown of this dolphin torture tank. And it worked.
Thanks to pressure from Ekō members, and the work of partners on the
ground, Mexican authorities closed it down for
good. But that was just the first step.
Together, with partner group Animal Heroes, we launched a
campaign for something even bigger: a national law to end
dolphin captivity forever. Ekō members flooded lawmakers
with demands for freedom and dignity for dolphins across Mexico.
And now it’s official: Mexico has passed the Mincho
Law!
This groundbreaking legislation bans dolphin shows,
swim-with-dolphin programs, and the breeding of marine mammals in
captivity. Every dolphin prison in the country will be forced to
shut down, and dolphins will finally be moved to
sanctuaries where they can live out their lives in peace and
safety.
This victory is for Mincho, and for every dolphin forced to
perform for profit. Next up: working alongside our partners to
ensure this historic new law is fully enforced, so no dolphin ever
has to suffer in captivity again.
Challenging
apartheid profiteers: Maersk cuts ties with Israeli settlements
![A news article titled ‘Shipping giant Maersk divests from companies linked to Israeli settlements.’ The subheadline says the move follows a campaign accusing Maersk of links to Israel’s military and occupation of Palestinian lands. Below the headline is a photo of a large Maersk Line container ship loaded with multicolored shipping containers, sailing on the ocean under a clear blue sky.]()
Global shipping giant Maersk has just announced it will
stop moving goods to and from Israel’s illegal
settlements, a massive crack in the system propping up the theft
of Palestinian land and racist apartheid.
This breakthrough came as the UN named Maersk in an expert report
as part of the “economy of genocide”. Ekō members helped
force their hand. Over one hundred thousand people joined this
campaign and chipped in to power a hard-hitting shareholder
resolution that exposed Maersk’s involvement to investors,
employees, and the world.
Ekō members also sent thousands of emails, flooded Maersk’s
social media with comments, and funded bold ads in Denmark’s
second-biggest newspaper during their Annual General Meeting
(AGM), making sure Maersk couldn’t hide from the truth: their ships
are fueling genocide and occupation.
This is a massive step forward. But Maersk still has blood
on its hands, continuing to ship military components for Israel’s
deadly F-35 program, fueling the brutal bombardment that has already
killed tens of thousands in Gaza. We won’t stop until Maersk cuts
off every shipment that enables these war crimes
Taking
the UK to court: Suspending arms sales to Israel
![Protesters hold a large red banner reading “STOP ARMING ISRAEL” outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, where a legal case is being brought against the UK government’s arms sales to Israel.]()
Nearly 10,000 Ekō members came together to back a
groundbreaking legal challenge against the UK government’s arms
sales to Israel, raising £27,000 to fuel the legal teams at GLAN and
Palestinian human rights group Al-Haq.This people-powered funding
drove forward the fight to end the UK’s complicity in war
crimes.
In September 2024, as a direct result of this case, the UK
government suspended around 30 arms licences to Israel, a
major crack in the system enabling Israel’s deadly assault on
Gaza.
While the court later ruled against halting exports of F-35 jet
parts in June 2025, the fight forced unprecedented
accountability. For the first time, the UK government was
dragged into court to answer for its role in fueling violence
against Palestinians, and it won’t be the last.
Here’s what the GLAN team shared about the impact of Ekō’s
support:
“Thank you again to Ekō for
supporting this crucial case that seeks to hold the UK accountable
for complicity in Israel’s crimes. We couldn’t do it without
supporters like you.”
Defending
the future of technology: OpenAI pledges to keep its non-profit
mission
![A giant digital billboard in Times Square shows an image of Sam Altman depicted as a robotic Terminator figure, alongside text criticising his attempt to turn OpenAI into a for-profit company. The billboard is part of Ekō’s campaign demanding OpenAI stay true to its non-profit mission and keep AI in the public interest.]()
When Big Tech tried to hijack OpenAI for private profit, Ekō
members joined together to defend the future of artificial
intelligence from billionaire takeover.
Over 130,000 of us signed the petition, demanding OpenAI
stay true to its founding promise. But we didn’t stop there.
Ekō members powered a bold, superhero-themed billboard campaign
targeting the Attorneys General of California and Delaware, backed
by flyers plastered right outside their offices. We lit up Times
Square with a giant ad depicting Sam Altman as a corporate
robot, and launched a digital ad blitz targeting OpenAI board
members wherever they went.
Billboard trucks rolled straight to the homes and offices of key
decision-makers, making it impossible to ignore the outcry.
Influencers amplified the campaign to millions more, sending a clear
message: AI must remain in the public interest, not billionaire
hands
And it worked. In May, OpenAI announced it wouldn’t
abandon its non-profit mission – a direct response to the wave of
pressure we built together.
But we’re not taking their word for it just yet. The details
still need to be nailed down, and we will keep fighting to make sure
their non-profit mission isn’t just a PR promise, but a legally
binding reality that protects the future of AI for all of us.
![Image used by the Ekō movement on billboards and stunts, showing a comic-style graphic with superhero imagery. The title reads “A.G. Bonta: The People’s Hero Against For-Profit A.I.” The top panel shows intense eyes with a speech bubble saying, “You promised us A.I. for the public good.” The bottom panel shows a superhero flying with a fist raised amid flames, with another speech bubble saying, “You can’t just line your pockets at our expense!”]()
But wait, there’s more! Winning big campaigns means
keeping the pressure on, again and again. And that’s exactly what
the Ekō movement is doing, turning up the heat with fearless,
creative tactics that corporations can’t ignore.
Jamming
Meta’s inbox with GDPR objections
Thousands of Ekō members in the UK joined forces to flood
Meta’s inbox with formal GDPR objections, demanding an end to
creepy ads that track and target us without consent. This digital
mass action hit just days after Meta settled a landmark legal case
reaffirming our right to say “no” to direct marketing. Ekō members
across Europe are filing formal complaints too. We’re not letting
Meta off the hook – our data, our rights.
Exposing
Microsoft’s war-profiting to its own employees
As part of our fight to end Microsoft’s role in Israel’s genocide
in Gaza, Ekō took the truth straight to their workforce. We
ran targeted LinkedIn ads that reached nearly 17,000
Microsoft employees – almost 10% of the entire company.
Thousands more Ekō members piled on, flooding Microsoft executives
with social media tags until they shut down comments at the
company’s biggest annual conference. This bold action fuelled
media headlines and supercharged worker protests demanding an end to
these deadly deals.
Forcing
Santander to the table with powerful video messages
Ekō members took on banking giant Santander for funding Amazon
destruction. Teaming up with Stand.earth and WeMove Europe,
members recorded powerful videos calling out Santander’s Global Head
of Responsible Banking, demanding she support Indigenous women
protecting the rainforest. The videos lit up social media,
amplifying Amazon defenders’ voices and exposing Santander’s dirty
financing to the world. The pressure was impossible to ignore.
After months of silence, Santander finally agreed to meet with the
president of Brazil’s Chapra nation.
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This is what we can achieve together. Every action that
is taken, every petition signed, every dollar chipped in,
fuels a movement that is unafraid to take on the world’s most
powerful corporations. Together, we’re proving that no
matter how big the fight, we can win.
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