Protests erupt at a Starbucks after two black men were arrested in a Philadelphia cafe sparking accusations of racial profiling at the coffee chain. Protesters targeted a Philadelphia Starbucks on Monday after two black men were arrested last week when a store employee called police to say the men were trespassing. The protests followed the release of a video that showed the two men being arrested after a store manager called the police because they were sitting in the store without placing an order. The two said they were waiting for a friend who arrived just as they were taken away in handcuffs. Philadelphia mayor calls for inquiry of Starbucks policies after black men arrested
Witnesses said the two were refused access to the bathroom because they had not made a purchase but that another customer had just used the bathroom without buying anything. Another said she had been there for hours without making a purchase. “We don’t want this Starbucks to make any money today. That’s our goal,” said Abdul-Aliy Muhammad, one of the protest’s organizers and co-founder of the Black and Brown Workers Collective, as protesters moved to the front counter shortly after 7am and chanted “Starbucks coffee is anti-black” and “We are gonna shut you down”.
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