An online petition is pressuring Starbucks to end all of its leases at properties owned by presumptive GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump.
“Starbucks is a bold company that values belonging, inclusion and diversity,” wrote Kyle Brooks, the Care2 petition’s creator. “They have continuously stood beside the LGBT community, African-Americans and other minority communities.
{mosads}“Unfortunately, Starbucks still has a business partner with a man who has called Mexicans rapists, stereotyped the Muslim community as terrorists and disgraces women,” he added. “That man is none other than Donald J. Trump.”
Brooks’s petition on Tuesday morning had earned more than 6,490 signatures out of a stated 7,000-signature goal. It also said that Trump had mistreated the coffee company late last year by criticizing changes to its holiday cups.
“Starbucks urges political discourse among its diverse consumers; however, just last December, Donald Trump urged his followers to boycott Starbucks because of their creative holiday red cup,” Brooks said.
“Mr. Trump even implied that he would terminate their leases. Publicly shaming one of your business partners is downright disrespectful.”
Starbucks releases its traditional red holiday cups each November. Past designs have included imagery such as snowflakes, snowmen and Christmas trees.
Last year’s edition was solid red and lacked any other symbols, however. The design prompted criticism from some Christians who believed the company was ignoring Christmas’s religious connotations.
Trump in November suggested boycotting the beverage chain over the cups.
“Maybe we should boycott Starbucks,” he said at an event in Illinois. “If I become president, we’re all going to be saying ‘Merry Christmas’ again. That I can tell you. That I can tell you! Unbelievable.”