During the World Trade Organization talks
in November 1999, protesters fl ooded Seattle’s streets, and among
their targets was Starbucks, a symbol, to them, of free-market capitalism
run amok, another multinational out to blanket the earth.
Amid the crowds of protesters and riot police were black-masked
anarchists who trashed the store, leaving its windows smashed and
its tasteful green-and-white decor smelling of tear gas instead of
espresso. Says an angry Schultz: “It’s hurtful. I think people are
ill-informed. It’s very diffi cult to protest against a can of Coke, a
bottle of Pepsi, or a can of Folgers. Starbucks is both this ubiquitous
brand and a place where you can go and break a window. You
can’t break a can of Coke.”