Guantanamo Protest at Starbucks next Saturday 21st October
BGC | 15.10.2006 21:54 | Anti-militarism | Anti-racism | Repression | Birmingham
Birmingham Guantanamo Campaign invites you to a protest against
Starbucks on New Street in Birmingham City Centre next Saturday
starting at 1.00pm.
Starbucks on New Street in Birmingham City Centre next Saturday
starting at 1.00pm.
The new Starbucks logo
Starbucks claim to be a company who "operate their business in a
socially responsible way", "expect our business partners to do the
same", and have been "working to create a robust Human Rights
policy".
Which is why they have opened a branch of Starbucks at the
Guantanamo Bay base to keep US military personnel wide awake and
fuelled with cinammon pastries while they eye-gouge prisoners and
pepper spray them in the face.
The US government have recently asked the British government for the
nine British resident detainees to be returned to the UK. They have
been held for many years without trial in Guantanamo Bay and there
is ample evidence of torture at the hands of US military personnel.
The British government is refusing the return of the detainees to be
reunited with their families in Britain on the grounds that the
required security measures the US government have requested are
unnecessary and unworkable.
If an agreement cannot be reached it is likely that the detainees
will be returned to their countries of origin where they are likely
to face further torture and ill-treatment.
The protest is to raise awareness of the torture and injustice
subjected to these nine people who have strong ties to the UK, and
to let as many Starbucks customers (or potential customers) know
what the company is complicit in.
Get as many people as you can to come down and take part in losing
Starbucks as many customers as possible!
socially responsible way", "expect our business partners to do the
same", and have been "working to create a robust Human Rights
policy".
Which is why they have opened a branch of Starbucks at the
Guantanamo Bay base to keep US military personnel wide awake and
fuelled with cinammon pastries while they eye-gouge prisoners and
pepper spray them in the face.
The US government have recently asked the British government for the
nine British resident detainees to be returned to the UK. They have
been held for many years without trial in Guantanamo Bay and there
is ample evidence of torture at the hands of US military personnel.
The British government is refusing the return of the detainees to be
reunited with their families in Britain on the grounds that the
required security measures the US government have requested are
unnecessary and unworkable.
If an agreement cannot be reached it is likely that the detainees
will be returned to their countries of origin where they are likely
to face further torture and ill-treatment.
The protest is to raise awareness of the torture and injustice
subjected to these nine people who have strong ties to the UK, and
to let as many Starbucks customers (or potential customers) know
what the company is complicit in.
Get as many people as you can to come down and take part in losing
Starbucks as many customers as possible!
BGC
Comments
Hide the following 7 comments
GITMO no desirable retail space
16.10.2006 12:38
Starbucks presence at Guantanamo Bay
Starbucks does not physically operate a store or sell coffee to military troops on Guantanamo Bay;
rather our coffee is served in dining facilities operated by Naval Supply (NASUP)...
doubts
weak response or bullshit reply?
16.10.2006 14:58
Starbucks & Gordon Quilty May 2006
Starbucks does not physically operate a store or sell coffee to military troops on Guantanamo Bay; rather our coffee is served in dining facilities operated by Naval Supply (NASUP)...Mr. Quilty, we completely hear your concern and recognize the significance and sensitivity of this issue. Please understand, however, that we are a coffee company and refrain from taking a position on the legality of the detention center at Guantanamo Bay. Likewise, as a publicly traded business, we do not feel it’s appropriate to comment on such matters.
As they say they dont feel it appropriate to comment on "such matters"
Thankfully the Birmingham Guantanamo Campiagn do and I for one was glad to be reminded why I should boycott Starbucks
On the theme we have been asked by Maya Evans to write a song about Guantanamo and Moazzam Begg which is our current project
Maybe Starbucks would like to give it away in their stores so their customers could learn why not to go there
mike d
e-mail:
solidaritypark@hotmail.com
Homepage:
http://www.myspace.com/solidaritypark
Re: doubt
16.10.2006 15:51
Starbucks currently has many "We Proudly Brew" foodservice locations in military installations across the United States as well as internationally, including the Guantanamo Bay military base. These are effectively franchises, as products are sold on behalf of Starbucks at these installations and which they duly profit from.
As many people are aware Guantanamo has been notorious for many years because of the well-documented human rights violations, namely arbitrary and indefinite imprisonment, torture and mutilation (Omar Deghayes, a Brighton man has been blinded and now only has one eye as a result of torture), not to mention the infamous children's wing of Guantanamo Bay.
These violations have been committed by the very same military personnel who are supplied coffee by Starbucks. At worst, this demonstrates tacit approval of their behaviour, and at best demonstrates putting profit motive before the very own principles they advocate. Starbucks has built it's image on the ideal that they provide a space which nurtures cohesive community relations, a space where people can share ideas. How are these compatible with human rights abuses?
We are living in a time now where consumers value and expect corporate responsibility. They do not want to find out the company whose pockets they have been lining are profiting from any kind of assault on the earth or other human beings. Companies respond accordingly spending millions on marketing, PR, and advertising to maintain their clean image, but what they portray is not necessarily the truth.
Pressure from consumers is just one of the many tools for social change; Starbucks started sourcing fair trade coffee in response to campaigning and dialogue from activists. I imagine many Starbucks customers and employees would be appalled to learn that the company is profiting from involvement with human rights abuses. Their customers and employees have a right to know and make their own decision. If Starbucks close their operation at Guantanamo it will send out a very positive and clear message: to those who partake in human rights abuses, we have spoken, society will not tolerate this. On Saturday we will see democracy, community and discussion in action at Starbucks.
Children at Guantanamo:-
Omar Deghayes blinded:-
Communication with Starbucks customer services:-
BGC
corporate responsibility
17.10.2006 14:00
Turnip
no doubt
18.10.2006 10:04
GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba - "Will that be 2-percent or whole milk?" the server asked sweetly before frothing up a latte at Starbucks, just down the road from the Subway and Pizza Hut.
subway:
CUBA (USD): 1 store Guantanamo Bay
Pizza Hut
GITMO just an empty line at yum!?
Pizza Hut is yum!
18.10.2006 10:47
GITMO just an empty line at yum!?
Other branches
18.10.2006 11:48
BGC