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A group of Palestine supporters briefly demonstrated inside the Apple Store at The Exchange TRX mall in Kuala Lumpur recently, calling for a boycott of the iPhone 17 over the Palestine issue.
Demonstrators unfurled a banner with “Palestine” at the top and “Congo” at the bottom while chanting “Free, Free, Palestine” in the store.
Video footage shows security personnel quickly asking them to move along.
Gerakan Gabungan Anti-Imperialis (GEGAR) posted a video of the incident on the social media platform X.
They called the demonstrators “brave human beings” for protesting during the iPhone 17 launch.
After just a few minutes, the group dispersed.
Salute these brave human beings for protesting the Apple iPhone 17 phone launch in TRX, Malaysia!
— GEGAR • Gerakan Gabungan Anti-Imperialis • 反帝联盟运 (@GEGAR_official) September 19, 2025
While others remain complacent and complicit, there are still a few ordinary people among us who have the courage to take a stand against these big tech companies! pic.twitter.com/oc6i7BeBsa
Debate Emerges Over Future Apple Purchases Among Malaysians
Online reactions were mixed.
While some showed support for the protest, others questioned why Apple was being targeted.
Several commenters pointed out that many Malaysians also use Apple products and challenged those calling for boycotts to consider disposing of their existing devices.
However, some acknowledged that past purchases couldn’t be helped, but future buying decisions could be reconsidered in light of boycotting.
The iPhone 17 was officially launched in Malaysia on Friday (19 September), making it one of the first countries to receive it.
Danial Arif Abdul Halim, a 19-year-old student from Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), was the first in line to purchase the iPhone 17 at the Apple Store in TRX after queuing since 3 am.
Why Protesters Target Apple
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has accused Apple of sourcing conflict minerals, specifically tin, tantalum, tungsten, and gold, that originate from conflict regions and are illicitly laundered through supply chains.
Meanwhile, pro-Palestinian protests against Apple have occurred worldwide, with activists claiming the company’s complicity in human rights violations in conflict areas like Gaza and Congo.
Apple has multiple research and development offices in Israel, focusing on semiconductor technology and other advancements.
Key components used in Apple products, including iPhones and Mac computers, are developed in Israel.
Apple also reportedly matches employee donations to the Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), which may indicate some financial support towards military initiatives in Israel.
Friends of the IDF is a non-profit organisation headquartered in New York that supports the health, well-being, and education of Israel’s soldiers.
READ MORE: Michelle Yeoh, Henry Golding Urged To Voice Support For Palestine As Part Of Malaysian Values
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