(RepublicanReport.org) – On October 7, Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel that started a war that has killed and injured countless innocent civilians in the region. Since Hamas — a terrorist organization — is in charge of the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, they are caught in the middle of the conflict. The war sparked protests about the fight with tensions about choosing sides at an all-time high. Recently, a union group sent a strong message out on social media about its stance, seemingly representing a large and well-known company.
Soon after Hamas began its attack on Israel, Workers United posted a statement on social media saying, “Solidarity with Palestine,” along with an image of a bulldozer plowing through the border between Gaza and Israel. Although the union identifies itself as Starbucks Workers United, the organization isn’t associated with the Starbucks company. \
The post was up for about 40 minutes before it was deleted, but the damage was done. Angry customers called Starbucks and showed up at stores threatening employees, complaining, and calling for a boycott. Starbucks filed a lawsuit against Workers United in response.
On October 18, the coffee company announced it filed a complaint against the union organization in the US District Court for the Southern District of Iowa for using the Starbucks name, logo, and intellectual property. Starbucks claimed Workers United damaged its reputation by appearing as though the two are associated with one another — they’re not.
Workers United responded by filing its own lawsuit in Pennsylvania against Starbucks. The organization wants to continue using the company’s name and a similar logo, and it also claims that Starbucks defamed the entity by implying the union supports terrorism.
After the union took down its message, Starbucks released a statement explaining it wasn’t affiliated with Workers United, stating the company disagreed with its stance and condemned terrorism. Starbucks leaders sent sympathy for all the innocent people affected in both Israel and Gaza.
Copyright 2023, RepublicanReport.org
