|
The Free to Camp Coalition protested near Coffee Plantation on Mill Avenue to criticize the store for an alleged mistreatment of homeless people and others.
For about an hour Saturday evening, more than 30 ASU students, activists and local residents marched up and down both sides of the downtown street.
They handed out fliers and fake Coffee Plantation coupons for a free discrimination, waved hand-painted, fabric banners that read "Coffee Plant. Won't Serve Homeless & Veterans."
The group also chanted rhymes like "Don't harass us, don't trespass us" and "Stop the war on the poor."
Free to Camp's main complaint: Since Coffee Plantation came under new management in January, frequently it has refused service to homeless people and others based on physical attributes like appearance and hygiene.
Eric Spruce, the store's new owner, said the charges are false.
A statement posted on the store's windows in response to Free to Camp's allegations affirms the store's right to refuse business to those who are "offensive in hygiene, language or behavior."
"It has nothing to do with [discrimination]," Spruce said. "It's just a few people who we wouldn't allow to use our bathrooms [to bathe] and panhandle our customers. It's just overreacting."
Jesse MacBeth told another story.
MacBeth, a 20-year-old U.S. soldier who recently returned from Iraq after sustaining a back injury, said Coffee Plantation banned him from the store in March for the way he was dressed -- in his training uniform.
He had been sipping coffee calmly when a store employee asked him to leave. He refused.
Management insisted that he leave even after he took out his military ID card. Security guards escorted him off the premises under threat of arrest if he returned.
He said he hoped the protest would disrupt the flow of customers into the store.
"If you cut down the customers a lot, then they won't keep their business going," MacBeth said. "That's the whole point, to let society know what's going on."
Another protester, journalism freshman Andrew Socha, wasn't so sure the demonstration would be successful.
"If anything is going to be effective, then people standing outside your store and yelling will hopefully get the message across," Socha said.
Socha paused and looked inside the store, which was far from empty.
"But a lot of times, people don't get the message no matter what you say," he said.
As if to accentuate the point, fliers and coupons that had been distributed by the protesters and dropped by passersby skittered along the sidewalk in the cool breeze.
One man quickly walked past the group and repeated, "Get a job. Get a job," while talking on his cell phone.
Reach the reporter at [email protected].
Editorial: Plantation serves discrimination
Businesses have the right to refuse service to their customers; people who are drunk, yelling, belligerent, unclothed and so forth.
But some businesses, like Coffee Plantation on Mill Avenue in downtown Tempe, take that right to the extreme, refusing to serve customers who they just don't like the looks of, a local activist group alleges.
The Free to Camp Coalition protested Coffee Plantation's mistreatment and discrimination of the homeless and others on Saturday by handing out fake Coffee Plantation coupons for free discrimination, waving banners that read, "Coffee Plant. Won't Serve Homeless & Veterans," and chanting rhymes like, "Don't harass us, don't trespass us" and "Stop the war on the poor."
A specific example of Coffee Plantation's refusal to serve gone haywire occurred in March when security escorted 20-year-old U.S. soldier Jesse MacBeth, who recently returned from the war in Iraq after he sustained a back injury, out of the coffee house.
MacBeth bought a coffee and was quietly sipping from it when an employee approached him and asked him to leave.
The coffee brewers apparently did not take to the way MacBeth was wearing his military training uniform.
Even after he showed management his military ID card, security guards forced him to leave, threatening him with arrest if he returned.
At the protest Saturday, MacBeth said he wanted to disrupt the business' flow of customers.
"If you cut down the customers a lot, then they won't keep their business going," he said. "That's the whole point, to let society know what's going on."
In response to the protest and Free to Camp's allegations, Coffee Plantation posted a sign on their window that says the business has the right to refuse customers who are "offensive in hygiene, language or behavior."
Store owner Eric Spruce said the coalition's allegations are false.
"It has nothing to do with [discrimination]," he said. "It's just a few people who we wouldn't allow to use our bathrooms [to bathe] and panhandle our customers. It's just overreacting."
On the contrary, coffee man. The overreaction happened when MacBeth was thrown out and banned for not looking pretty in his fatigues.
He was not bathing, yelling or behaving unlike any other customer behaves. He was simply wearing his uniform and drinking coffee.
Last time we checked, the Tempe City Council hadn't yet outlawed those behaviors.
Yes, Coffee Plantation has the right to refuse service to anyone, but choosing to exercise that right in excess is ridiculous.
MacBeth just wanted a cup of the good stuff, not too much to ask for from a man who risked his life fighting on behalf of the country.
Maybe we all should think twice before buying coffee from the old Plantation. If you still decide to go, make sure you wear your Gap pants and cologne.
There was then a fairly negative and classist editorial mocking the FTC and Jesse MacBeth. Jesse wrote his own response and it was printed in the State Press. Guest Column: I never wanted to protestBy Jesse Macbeth
Special to The State Press
Published: Friday, April 23, 2004
There are several things I would like to mention that Lucia Bill and Brian Clapp of The State Press failed to mention or distorted to fit their opinions. But before that, let me tell you why I protest. I don't protest for the homeless people because I know most of them are homeless because that is the way they choose to live. They like that life. I am doing my protest against Coffee Plantation on the basis that they banned me from their property for the sole reason that I was in my military uniform, in case some of the boneheads who own Coffee Plantation and those in the press who advocate for them have forgotten. This is America. We are still at war. Soldiers and civilians are still dying. So why would someone boot an American soldier who is drinking coffee that he paid for and talking quietly to friends? They booted me on my appearance alone. If they do not like green or BDUs, then that is their problem. If they don't like American servicemen, then why are they in America? Yes, I told the security guard and the employee who said I couldn't be there because of my uniform to f--- off. And I will tell them that again and anyone who bans an American serviceman who is peacefully drinking bought product from their store. I would understand if I was being loud and disturbing people, if I stank so bad they were losing customers or if I was disturbing their business in any way. But I was doing none of those. I understand they're upset about the homeless bathing and panhandling in the store. I would be upset about that, too. But again, my problem with them and the Free to Camp Coalition's problem are way different. I would gladly sit down with Coffee Plantation and discuss a way we can resolve this, because I've really got better things to do than protest. I am on the verge of being reshipped out. If Coffee Plantation will agree to change some things, then I will no longer protest. Some of the things include not banning people based on appearance or social status. If people are bathing in your bathroom, then ban them. But if they are paying customers and they are quietly sitting down and enjoying a drink like everyone else and you ban them because you don't like what they're wearing, then that is not right. If they were worried and customers were complaining, then I might understand. I served in Iraq 16 months as a U.S. Army Ranger. Coming back home and being treated that way angered me. Coffee Plantation is not the enemy or my enemy. The owners who discriminate are the enemy. I used to go and hang out there all the time. I would play chess and buy food there all day sometimes. Lucia Bill and Brian Clapp, it works better if you print the whole truth, not shape it to fit your opinion or Coffee Plantation's. Your column is just another example of how the media mistreats the people. I love America. I would fight a million wars and die a million times to ensure the safety of America and the American people. So if that makes me a jerk or a socialistic pig, then so be it. I have a lot of pride in my country, my service in my uniform and all of my battle buddies out there right now fighting and dying. I won't set that aside for anything. If Coffee Plantation wants to sit and talk to resolve this, I will gladly. I won't discuss the day I'm being shipped off. But we need to arrange talks ASAP if Coffee Plantation wants to talk.