Masked protesters wearing pink-stained white sheets could be seen chanting in front of the campus Starbucks in a video posted on the UVic protest encampment’s social media page on Monday
A Starbucks outlet at the University of Victoria closed early Monday for the second day in a row after disruptions by pro-Palestinian activists.
Masked protesters wearing pink-stained white sheets could be seen chanting in front of the campus Starbucks in a video posted on the UVic protest encampment’s social media page on Monday.
The group left red handprints on the glass exterior and wrote “free Gaza” on a sign left outside the store before leaving.
On Sunday, about two dozen activists staged a demonstration inside the store, prompting customers to leave.
Some protesters lay on the ground and covered themselves in cloths stained to look like they had been bloodied.
UVic spokesperson Kirsten Lauvaas said the store was closed for the day on Sunday after the 11:30 a.m. protest and that Monday’s closing lasted for about an hour.
In a statement, the university said it is working with campus security and other partners to manage disruptions.
UVic’s pro-Palestinian encampment, which has been on campus since May 1, was unable to provide a representative for comment on Monday evening.
Starbucks stores have become a target of pro-Palestinian activists after the Seattle-based coffee giant sued Workers United, a union organizing Starbucks workers in the U.S., over a pro-Palestinian message posted on a union social media account.
Weekend pro-Palestinian marches in downtown Victoria often chant slogans calling for a boycott when they approach Starbucks locations.
At Vancouver Island University, protesters who have been camped out in front of the Nanaimo campus library since May 1 are calling for the removal of the university’s on-campus Starbucks.
UVic’s campus Starbucks is a franchise operated by the university and staffed by members of the CUPE 951 union.
CUPE 951 vice-president Page DeWolfe said the decision to close the store was made by management over health and safety concerns.
“We will support our members’ health and safety however that needs to unfold,” she said.
Management has yet to tell the union how they will respond if another protest disrupts store operations, she said, adding that the union recognizes “the fundamental right to peaceful protest.”
UVic’s Starbucks franchise opened after the university decided to close the Finnerty Express Cafe at the UVic bookstore in 2019.
The opening of UVic’s only corporate-branded store on campus was protested by students and faculty, who expressed concerns over lack of transparency and consultation.
Protesters from the UVic encampment are expected to meet with two high-level university representatives on Wednesday to continue negotiations to end the encampment.
— with a file from The Associated Press