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Birmingham Guantanamo Campaign and police at Starbucks, 21 October 2006

hewitt | 22.10.2006 11:52 | Repression | Birmingham

On Saturday 21 October 2006 around a dozen people attended a vigil outside
Starbucks coffee shop in New Street, called by Birmingham Guantanamo
Campaign to draw attention to the fact that Starbucks also has a shop
at Guantanamo.

Starbucks, New Street, Birmingham, 21 Oct 2006
Starbucks, New Street, Birmingham, 21 Oct 2006

Police attending Starbucks. Photo approx 13:35 BST
Police attending Starbucks. Photo approx 13:35 BST


The Campaign also set up a table opposite and collected signatures for
their petition to Birmingham City Council for a resolution about the
British residents still imprisoned there.

Police attended purportedly because of an allegation that someone had
been obstructing customers trying to enter the shop. Arriving not long
after the scheduled start time of 1pm, I saw no evidence of obstruction.
And I observed no police interest in establishing the facts or identifying
the supposed culprit(s). Neither did I hear anyone asserting that they
had been obstructed. In fact, the only person with a complaint seemed
to be the manager of Starbucks who stood outside saying that the vigil
was not "nice".

In the photo, two of the three women in fluorescent jackets are so-called
"community support officers" and the third was a police woman. The large
police van contained some male officers. At one point there were around
4 police officers and two so-called "community support officers" present.

One male officer, wearing padded body armour, threatened to arrest a woman
for asking him questions. "Now if you carry on questioning me like this
I will shift you all right? and I will arrest you to prevent a breach of
the peace." When she asked him his name and number he indicated something
on his chest. "What?" she said and then something that sounded like
"awet?" - presumably the only letters visible. There was no number and
when someone else took up this question he replied "mine's 7852 you got
a problem?", with the manner of a football hooligan spoiling for a fight.

Later, asked about why they had come one officer said: ..."all that came
over the phone was that there was somebody that were impeding customers
going into the shop that's the only reason why we've come here. As you
say I mean we live in a democracy" (In fact the questioner had said no
such thing) "you want to protest but just be careful"...

hewitt

Additions

Contact Starbucks

22.10.2006 13:35


Here are the contact details for Starbucks:

 http://starbucks.co.uk/en-GB/_About+Starbucks/Contact+Starbucks.htm

The e-mail address shown there is:
 ukinfo@starbucks.com

Why not contact them and ask when they will be closing down their outlet at Guantanamo Bay.

If they continue to keep it open then they are supporting imprisonment without trial and torture.


say-yes-to-peace


Comments

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Contacting Starbucks

24.10.2006 15:36

If you intend to contact Starbucks it will definitely be worth asking them how supplying Starbucks coffee to people who are carrying out torture and human rights abuses is compatible with their own ethics of "operating their business in a socially responsible way", "expecting our business partners to do the same", and their aims of "working to create a robust Human Rights policy".

It is also worth reminding them that 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.

At worst Starbuck's willingness to supply coffee 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? Would Starbucks supply coffee to prisons in Iran/Syria who were imprisoning people without trial and subjecting them to torture?

Communication with Starbucks customer services:-
 http://www.reports-and-materials.org/Exchange-between-Quilty-and-Starbucks-about-Guantanamo-and-human-rights-Feb-Mar-2006.doc

Children at Guantanamo:-
 http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,12271,941876,00.html

Omar Deghayes blinded:-
 http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-16680139-details/Man+'blinded+at+Guantanamo'/article.do;jsessionid=hMxCFvFXych8WypKhPD1xscS6Yy5ynpJ2HTnJLn4fHT5H1LN5JMG!-1071961029

BGC
- Homepage: http://www.guantanamo.org.uk