Starbucks protest ends in arrest

Oxfam has previously worked with Starbucks, notably with a one-year agreement in 2004, which provided support to coffee farmers in Ethiopia and enabled Starbucks and Oxfam to work together to find ways to reduce poverty in coffee farming communities. However, Starbucks’ recent activity has caused Oxfam to speak out against the coffee giant.

Phil Bloomer, Director of Policy at Oxfam, said: “Starbucks has made some progress towards helping poor farmers in recent years, but their behaviour on this occasion is a huge backwards step, and raises serious questions about the depth of their commitment to the welfare of their suppliers. By acting responsibly, they could set an example for others by supporting Ethiopia’s plan to help the 15 million struggling Ethiopian farmers who depend on coffee for their survival.”

“Intellectual property ownership now makes up a huge proportion of the total value of world trade but rich countries and businesses capture most of this. Ethiopia, the birthplace of coffee, and one of the poorest countries in the world, is trying to assert its rights and capture more value from its product. It should be helped, not hindered,” said Ron Layton, chief executive of Light Years IP, a Washington DC-based intellectual property rights organisation that is helping to advise the Ethiopian government.

I was walking through New York’s Astor Place a couple of hours ago and I came across a large protest that was being broken up the NYPD at Tony Rosenthal’s spinning “Alamo” cube sculpture. It turns out that right before I arrived, Reverend Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping had invaded the Starbucks across the street and Reverend Billy was arrested and taken to NYPD’s 9th Precinct. I shot a few photos of the aftermath.


The protest had to do with Starbucks’ opposition to Eithopia’s plan to trademark several types of coffee, including Sidamo, Harar and Yirgacheffe.


Here’s the protest announcement from Reverend Billy’s website:


Let’s dance and exorcise some cash registers! Confront Starbucks for stealing the trademarks of Ethiopia’s ancient coffees, like Sidamo and Harar. Honor the destitute farmers by defeating the $4 latte!