April 15, 2018
Google/StreetView
The Starbucks shop at 18th and Spruce streets in the Rittenhouse neighborhood of Center City Philadelphia.
The arrests of two black men at a Starbucks shop in Center City Philadelphia – for doing nothing more than waiting for a friend to join them – has ignited a massive outcry despite an apology and pledge by the company's CEO to revisit corporate policies.
In a statement, Mayor Jim Kenney said: “I am heartbroken to see Philadelphia in the headlines for an incident that – at least based on what we know at this point – appears to exemplify what racial discrimination looks like in 2018."
Meanwhile, police Commissioner Richard Ross maintains his officers did nothing wrong by putting the two men in handcuffs and marching them out of the store. No charges were pressed after the Philadelphia district attorney's office determined no laws had been broken.
On Twitter, from whence the controversy was borne of a video of the incident that went viral, people weighed in on all sides:
Message to the @Starbucks in Philadelphia....Our city is shining bright like a diamond right now. Please make this situation right. I repeat please make this situation right!!!!!!! Once again MAKE THIS RIGHT
— Kevin Hart (@KevinHart4real) April 15, 2018
@starbucks CEO: "Sorry we have a racist employee"
— Marco (@marco_lius) April 15, 2018
The Guys who were arrested: "What are you doing about the employee?"@starbucks CEO: "We have a plan for the future"@starbucks employee in a week: "Thanks for my cheque, see you tomorrow"#boycottStarbucks
Get that manager to explain to us all, why he called the police on two men sitting in Starbucks.
— Worthers💬 (@worth3016) April 15, 2018
And then ask the police why on earth they arrested those two men.
Then sack them all.
https://t.co/rkfzyfsd85
I support Civil Rights, but this is too showy 4 me; If I owned a restaurant I wouldn't want people just hanging out too long without a purchase, otherwise you'd get thousands of people maybe hanging out using you like a slave. Business is business. "Starbucks CEO"
— DebbieDavidson (@debbie77777777) April 15, 2018
This is the part making me angry re: the Starbucks CEO statement. An arrest is a direct result of calling the police. And calling the police is the very definition of an escalation. pic.twitter.com/xpdoDyO2mf
— Bev (@bevtgooden) April 15, 2018
At an old job, at least once a week I would meet my manager at different @Starbucks I’d always get there before him and he was paying so I was waiting. However, the era of Trump has ushered in overt nastiness.
— kevin king (@65klassik) April 15, 2018
Most interesting line from @Starbucks CEO "Our store manager never intended for these men to be arrested..". Would be interesting to hear what he/she thought would happen once police were called on 2 black men. https://t.co/YkUuykIK46
— Soledad O'Brien (@soledadobrien) April 15, 2018
That letter from @Starbucks CEO was the same “I’m sorry” we see whenever this happens. Take your “thoughts & prayers” BS response somewhere else. This was racism.
— Alicia S (@AliciaS20) April 15, 2018
Fire those involved at a MINIMUM.
Things are not going very well at ShariaBucks
— KEEP AMERICA GREAT! (@TrumpSlide_2020) April 15, 2018
Starbucks CEO Apologizes to save from his stock tanking on Monday#MondayMotivation Sell your stock #BoycottStarbucks #QAnon #SundayMorning #CNNSOTU #AMJoy pic.twitter.com/LYeKlbtkIc
What happened is inexcusable. But you know the left. An apology won’t suffice.
— First Words (@unscriptedmike) April 15, 2018
They want the Starbucks CEO to implement a
New Policy:
Come on in. Stay as long as you like. No need to buy anything. And the toilets are there for you. This is not our business. It’s your home.
I can't wait to see what Starbucks CEO is going to have employees write on cups this time around.
— Vin Tanner (@SurburbanCowboy) April 15, 2018
Conservatives boycott Starbucks because of a fucking holiday cup, but when there's an actual reason to boycott them (RACISM) they make fun of that. #BoycottStarbucks
— Denizcan James (@MrFilmkritik) April 15, 2018
I am 100% confident that as a white man in America, I could go to any coffeeshop and sit for two hours without ordering anything and the police would not be called. 100%.#BoycottStarbucks
— JRehling (@JRehling) April 14, 2018
2 black men are arrested for literally sitting down in Starbucks & an old white dude announces he assaults women and they still made him president#WhitePrivilege #BoycottStarbucks
— Alt Fed Employee (@Alt_FedEmployee) April 15, 2018
My dad sits around Starbucks for hours and nobody says a word to him about it.
— Red T Raccoon (@RedTRaccoon) April 15, 2018
He's a 69 year old white man, so that might have something to do with it.#BoycottStarbucks
Walking while Black.
— BrooklynDad_Defiant! (@mmpadellan) April 14, 2018
Kneeling while Black.
Using a cell phone while Black.
Driving while Black.
And now...waiting in Starbucks while Black.
This shit MUST stop.
Those men need to be compensated for that ordeal, @Starbucks.
Fire the employee.
Until then, #BoycottStarbucks. https://t.co/WbftaqfUbR
I feel like the Philadelphia police need to be grilled with questions too since they tried to justify the arrests. A racist employee can easily be fired, but a racist police force is much more difficult to work with #BoycottStarbucks
— Becca🇺🇸🌹🌊🗽 (@NastyWoman96) April 14, 2018
I can’t boycott Starbucks because I literally never drink their shit coffee.
— No Soy Boys Allowed (@krisp__y) April 15, 2018
#BoycottStarbucks
