Byrne slams Starbucks for making bucks off Guantanamo
Issued : Monday 5 June, 2006
Labour Party Cllr Eric Byrne – who chairs Dublin City Council's Fair Trade Steering Committee - today condemned the coffee shop chain Starbucks for opening an outlet to serve US troops at the notorious detention centre in Guantanamo Bay. Cllr. Byrne said that he was particularly disappointed at the chain’s action since Starbucks is known for its Fair Trade policies and its commitment to human rights.
“Given Starbucks reputation for sourcing Fair Trade coffee, I was delighted when they decided to establish outlets here in Dublin. However, I was shocked recently to discover that they also maintain a ‘We Proudly Brew’ outlet to serve US military personnel in Guantanamo Bay. The regime of illegal detention at Guantanamo – under which detainees are held indefinitely without charge, and may be subjected to torture – has been condemned by international organisations and NGOs, most recently by a UN Human Rights Commission Report which accused the US of “practices amounting to torture” at Guantanamo, and concluded that the 520 detainees should either be put on trial or released.
“By maintaining an outlet to serve US military personnel in Guantanamo, Starbucks is effectively colluding in this abuse of human rights.
“I for one shall not be frequenting Starbucks outlets in Dublin until the Guantanamo coffee shop has been closed”, Cllr. Byrne concluded.
