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NYC Queers Occupy Uptown Starbucks

Protesting Starbucks’ support for Israeli seizures of Palestinian land, 15 activists with the group Queer Resistance for Palestine occupied the uptown Starbucks during the lunchtime rush, claiming the coffee shop as settled land.
Uptown Starbucks Occupation
by IMC/Queers for Palestine 10:04pm Thu Dec 12 '02


Queer occupation of 115th St. Starbucks

Yesterday, Thursday, patrons of the Starbucks café on 115th St. and Broadway got something extra with their lattés. Protesting Starbucks’ support for Israeli seizures of Palestinian land, 15 activists with the group Queer Resistance for Palestine occupied the uptown Starbucks during the lunchtime rush, claiming the coffee shop as settled land. Hanging flags and banners announcing the takeover, and arranging houseplants and bedding around the room, the "settlers" seized customers’ comfy chairs and informed them, "This is our coffee shop now."



The activists were able to occupy the coffee shop for
an hour, and no arrests were made, although police
were called onto the scene. According to Emmaia
Gelman, one of the activists and organizers of the
action, police did not prevent the action from taking
place.

Reactions from patrons were mixed, says Gelman. "Some
got up and left and thanked the occupiers, and some
requested information on other corporations involved
in supporting Israel's occupation… Many were older
Upper West Side liberal Jews," she said.

"On the other side," Gelman continued, "many were
angry at the idea that anyone would criticize
Starbucks or Israel." Most of the enraged were
"students who said things like 'I hope you get blown
up on a bus in Tel Aviv.'"

About 15 customer had no reaction at all and were
rather "disengaged," as Gelman described it.

Starbucks staff had the most hostile response, said the activists. “It was most distressing to see the staff had this tunnel vision,” said Gelman, “and identified completely with Starbucks. It was quite frightening.”

Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz, who has described
himself as an "active Zionist" has pledged support for
the expansion of Israeli settlements, vowing to open
20 new stores in Israel to boost its occupation-sapped
economy.

"Since the CEO of this company clearly believes it’s
okay for one group of people to grab another people’s
land and claim a right to it, we’re pretty sure he
won’t mind if we just settle down right here in his
store," said the settlers in a press release.

The explicitly queer act of protest and solidarity was meant to highlight the parallels between the characterization of gays and lesbians as “perverted and demonic” by the American government and the Christian right, and the portrayal of Palestinians by the Israeli government as “undeserving of human rights,” said Gelman.

 
 

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