Fired by Burger King for Saying “Free Palestine,” Arianna Hamilton Receives More Than $200,000 in Donations

Arianna Hamilton, an employee at a Burger King branch in Breinigsville, Pennsylvania, was fired following a verbal altercation that was captured on video and widely circulated in late July and early August 2026. During the exchange, she responded to an American Israeli customer who identified himself by saying, “Free Palestine.” The antagonistic Israeli customers asked her to repeat what she had said, and she proudly complied.

Arianna said she was fired following the incident and subsequently launched a GoFundMe campaign to help cover her rent, utilities, groceries, and other expenses while she searched for a new job. Within days, more than 3,000 people had donated over $200,000, with supporters rallying behind her and turning the incident into a widespread show of solidarity.

Since I have been using Twitter since 2009, I posted a short tweet praising Arianna for her moral courage. It read: https://x.com/Abuyousef/status/2085991879594721441?s=20

“You glow, girl!

Arianna Hamilton is the most famous girl in .
All she did was stand up for children in .
BK fired her, but she earned $200,000 in 2 days.
That is more than she would have earned in years.

Let’s Shame Burger King!

Free Palestine ”

I was super amazed that my tweet generated so much interest:

• Over 85,000 likes
• Over 17,000 engagements
• More than 300 reposts
• 693 detailed responses

More Reactions on Social Media

1. Dr. Rahmeh Aladwan

Dr. Rahmeh Aladwan from the UK tweeted on August 6: 

“They got her fired for saying ‘Free Palestine,’ so humanity gave her security with over $100K in 2 days. This is how it’s done! FREE PALESTINE.” 

https://x.com/Abuyousef/status/2085991879594721441?s=20

2. Mohamad Safa

Mohamad Safa, a diplomat at UN ECOSOC in Geneva, posted on X: “There is no moral difference between putting people in gas chambers and burning people in safe zones inside tents. A holocaust is happening right before our eyes and the world is silent.”

3. Ghanem Ahmad

Ghanem Ahmad from Los Angeles, California, had this to say on Facebook: “Surely, all these institutions such as Burger King, McDonald’s, Starbucks, and others will lose customers because we, the people, understand the power of boycott. I salute everyone who stands up to tyranny and AIPAC. A young humanitarian lady with guts and honor. Respect. Love.”

4. Fatmeh Atieh

Fatmeh Atieh, Editor-in-Chief of Alenteshar Alarabi Newspaper, wrote a brilliant op-ed titled “When Expressing Support for Freedom Comes at a Cost in America.”

In it, she stated: "Standing for what one believes is right can come at a price—and sometimes, standing in solidarity with others can cost even more, even in a country that presents itself to the world as a land of freedom and free expression.”

She then posed a rhetorical question:

“When does expressing support for the freedom of a people or opposition to occupation become classified as hate speech? And does calling for Palestinian freedom automatically constitute hostility toward Jewish people?”

Atieh further added: “The incident therefore became about much more than one employee, one restaurant, and one customer. It reopened a growing American debate about Palestine, political speech, and the increasingly controversial tendency to blur the distinction between criticism of Israel, advocacy for Palestinian rights, and antisemitism.”

She ended her column by writing: “Arianna Hamilton lost her job. But in doing so, her case led thousands of people to repeat the same two words at the center of the controversy: Free Palestine.”

Arianna Hamilton’s GoFundMe Campaign Update

Arianna Hamilton’s GoFundMe campaign, launched after she was fired from a Burger King franchise, has raised more than $234,000 so far toward its $250,000 goal.

The fundraiser, titled “Support Arianna After Job Loss for Free Speech,” began after Hamilton was dismissed following a viral exchange with a customer. She said the money would cover her rent, groceries, utilities, transportation, and other living expenses while she searches for work. She also said that any surplus would be donated to help families in Palestine.

As of the latest update, the campaign has received more than 7,600 donations and has reached approximately 94% of its target.

Burger King Is Accused of Ignoring the Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza

It has been reported that Burger King has handed out $125,900 worth of free meal vouchers to the IDF while calling Israeli soldiers “heroes” amid the devastation and mass killing in Gaza.

I find it deeply ironic that Burger King would fire an employee for condemning genocide after she simply said, “Free Palestine.”

It is difficult to understand how Burger King can fire an employee for condemning the genocide while, according to reports, celebrating or supporting Israeli soldiers during the devastation in Gaza.

This makes no sense to me. Supporting genocide is not an American value.

Finally, Burger King owes Palestinian customers an apology for what many critics view as its failure to acknowledge the suffering and devastation in Gaza, as well as for firing a young and courageous employee, Arianna Hamilton.

Arianna Hamilton who said, "Free Palestine" speaks out after saying she was fired by the fast-food restaurant.

https://x.com/RoyaNewsEnglish/status/2085218375995691350?s=20

We all know that Holocaust denial is a criminal offense in several European nations. In my view, genocide denial should be held to the same standard. Supporting genocide is not compatible with Western values.

I stand with American heroine Arianna Hamilton!

Caption for bottom photo:  Arianna Hamilton did the right thing. She stood up against intimidation & genocide. X

Mahmoud El-Yousseph is a Palestinian freelance writer and a retired U.S. Air Force veteran. He writes about U.S. foreign policy, Middle Eastern affairs, and justice