Why were people smashing Starbucks windows at the Gaza protest?

[Oswaldtwistle]

I don't get it, I know some people don't like chain stores like Starbucks, but this was about Israel's actions, not multinationals, surely?

I don't see a direct connection- are Starbucks Jewish owned?

 

[treelover]

'Jewish owned', ffs if they are attacking 'jewish owned stores' then things are going down the pan

 

[In Bloom]

Done to fucking death

Starbucks are seen by many (rightly or wrongly, I don't know much about this) as supporting Israel, so it's hardly surprising that it would be attacked by protestors. It's also the case that Starbucks are a particularly hated company by many activists, due to their fucking over of growers in third world countries and their victimisation of union activists, so this might also have been a factor. Why would you assume anti-semitic intent when you clearly know nothing about the situation?

 

[Oswaldtwistle]

Done to fucking death

Fair enough. Thread closed.

 

[Wolveryeti]

This is the rapsheet according to the Boycott Israel website.

http://www.inminds.co.uk/boycott-starbucks.html

 

[In Bloom]

That site's pretty fucking dodgy, "Art of the Islamic Revolution"?

 

[frogwoman]

I don't get it, I know some people don't like chain stores like Starbucks, but this was about Israel's actions, not multinationals, surely?

I don't see a direct connection- are Starbucks Jewish owned?

the CEO of starbucks is a pretty strong supporter of Israel.

ffs "jewish owned"

 

[Dillinger4]

the CEO of starbucks is a pretty strong supporter of Israel.

ffs "jewish owned"

Coffee is what cosmopolitans drinks. Rootless ones. And, you know, big companies are all run by like, 'international financiers'.

 

[rioted]

I don't see a direct connection- are Starbucks Jewish owned?

It was smashed immediately after a police baton charge. I should imagine it was the nearest symbol of American/Israeli imperialism that was handy. If you had just been smacked round the head by a truncheon or pushed in the face by a riot shield you might have wanted to vent your frustration.

 

[frogwoman]

Coffee is what cosmopolitans drinks. Rootless ones. And, you know, big companies are all run by like, 'international financiers'.

Wow, why did nobody tell me this before?

 

[Dan U]

i got why Starbucks got smashed, why the shops nearby got done as well, less so.

Particularly the clearly Asian run newsagents.

 

[frogwoman]

i got why Starbucks got smashed, why the shops nearby got done as well, less so.

Particularly the clearly Asian run newsagents.

Twats looking for a fight probably.

 

[bluestreak]

there are alwys idiots. just because some twats smashed up anything going, doesn't mean that the whole protest is wrong headed.

the same applies to israel and hamas. being against one doesn't equate to being in favour of another. if you can't understand all of this, then you're too stupid to be involved in political discourse, fuck off back to eastenders.

 

[salem]

I doubt there was much thought gone into it tbh. At least if the overexcited kids I overheard talking about it last night were anything to go by.

Idiots.

 

[frogwoman]

there are alwys idiots. just because some twats smashed up anything going, doesn't mean that the whole protest is wrong headed.

the same applies to israel and hamas. being against one doesn't equate to being in favour of another. if you can't understand all of this, then you're too stupid to be involved in political discourse, fuck off back to eastenders.

Innit

i really am getting fucking fed up of people trying to portray things like this as some big pogrom as well

its not helpful and it will ultimately help anti-semites rather than stop them,

 

[rioted]

'Jewish owned', ffs if they are attacking 'jewish owned stores' then things are going down the pan

if!!!! You'd love it to be true though, wouldn't you?

 

[rioted]

Particularly the clearly Asian run newsagents.

Where was that? I was outside starbucks when it was trashed and the shop next door (Big Toms?) but didn't see anymore.

 

[chico enrico]

maybe they just done it cos smashing windows is a laugh.

 

[editor]

That site's pretty fucking dodgy, "Art of the Islamic Revolution"?

It gets odder:

Through out history, Islamic Art has drawn upon mathematics - the universal language of nature - for its inspiration. The geometric perfection of Islamic Architecture, the intricate symmetry found in tile and calligraphic designs all testify to this. We at Innovative Minds wish to continue this tradition, and hence have choosen Fractal geometry - an exciting area of mathematics - for our inspiration for this new product.

 

[In Bloom]

Where are people getting this stuff about other shops being targetted by the protesters? Even this comically hyperbolic Daily Mail article only mentions the Starbucks being smashed up.

 

[Dan U]

Where was that? I was outside starbucks when it was trashed and the shop next door (Big Toms?) but didn't see anymore.

the shop on the corner of the side street where the police were massing. right opp the embassy entrance.

Where are people getting this stuff about other shops being targetted by the protesters? Even this comically hyperbolic Daily Mail article only mentions the Starbucks being smashed up.

from being there.

i have pics of the newsagent but not uploaded, and Rioted has mentioned the other shop. This was next to Starbucks/Uncle Toms iirc. I saw four in all.

 

[derf]

It gets odder:

Take a look at the design and history of the twin (petronos) towers, KL, Malaysia.

 

[derf]

Back to the question posed in the thread title.

Easy. There were a few fucking pillocks on the job.
Problem is these few always put a hex on the whole thing and take away the message trying to be put over.
50,000 people the point that Israeli is being a cunt and a couple of hundred cunts doing their best to destroy what they did so well.

 

[girasol]

there are alwys idiots. just because some twats smashed up anything going, doesn't mean that the whole protest is wrong headed.

the same applies to israel and hamas. being against one doesn't equate to being in favour of another. if you can't understand all of this, then you're too stupid to be involved in political discourse, fuck off back to eastenders.

I don't understand much of it and the more I try to the more confused I get...

So, it's the promised land, according to whom? The Hebrew bible?

My mum keeps saying we should boycott business that support Israel, how does that work, and who would it really hurt? In my experience it's always the poor who suffer.

Someone on the radio this morning said they should make a land called PI (Palestine Israel), relating it to a circular notion. It sounded good in my half-awake condition.

 

[In Bloom]

If it was large enough, a boycott could have some impact, most of Israel's exports go to either the US or the UK, IIRC. It's not going to force Israel to withdraw on it's own, but every little helps.

 

[quimcunx]

The EU is about to strengthen trade relationships with Israel.

 

[CUMBRIANDRAGON]

I don't get it, I know some people don't like chain stores like Starbucks, but this was about Israel's actions, not multinationals, surely?

I don't see a direct connection- are Starbucks Jewish owned?

Maybe because capitalism is the cause of everything

 

[cantsin]

Back to the question posed in the thread title.

Easy. There were a few fucking pillocks on the job.
Problem is these few always put a hex on the whole thing and take away the message trying to be put over.
50,000 people the point that Israeli is being a cunt and a couple of hundred cunts doing their best to destroy what they did so well.

the "message" I got from the march yesterday ( from 400 miles away ) was that it got angry and militant in parts .

I imagine if the images got to gaza and the WB , it might look the same , and along with distrurbances in Paris / greece / occupying the consulate in Canada , it might just help convince Palestinians that they're not alone in all this .

"cunts" ( as you put it ) like you are what so depressed me about marches when I still went .

 

[winjer]

Particularly the clearly Asian run newsagents.

I think that was just an errant barrier when people were trying to intercept the baton charge from Kensington Court.

The clothes shop 'Top Gun' - Iranian-owned! - was probably down to fur or leather I think, esp as paint was spread in there. As to the opticians, fuck knows.

 

[winjer]

'Jewish owned', ffs if they are attacking 'jewish owned stores' then things are going down the pan

Again with the 'they'.

The owner of Starbucks has supported the 'Jerusalem Fund' of Aish HaTorah which among other activities organizes trips to "promote opportunities for strategic partnerships and joint ventures between U.S. and Israeli defense and homeland security companies", including such widely reknowned purveyors of PFI-torture as CACI.
e.g. http://www.caci.com/about/news/news2004/02_02_04_NR.html

Can you please stop with the smear tactics?