Grinding axes with coffee chain

Members of Students for Justice in Palestine organized a protest against Starbuck's coffee as encouragement to boycott the store's coffee for several reasons that were listed on their fliers. The president of the group, Deema Dabis, led the protest.\n"If I can change one person's mind, there can be a chain reaction," Dabis said. "People should open their minds to see both sides of this story."\nThe fliers pointed out that Starbuck's buys milk laced with recombinant Bovine Growth hormone, a hormone associated with higher risks of cancer, and refuses to pay a living wage to the suppliers of their coffee. Another reason listed said that the CEO of Starbuck's, Howard Shultz, has promoted a close alliance between the United States and Israel with $14 million American tax dollars supporting the Israeli military every day.\n"Any talk about peace without getting Israeli military out is empty," said Bret Davis Eartheart, a Bloomington resident. "Israel's occupation has to stop. It's the only way we'll have peace."\nCounterprotesters showed up with their own side of the story.\nJunior Dan Lande, leader of Students Supporting Israel, said the protest went against peace efforts in the Middle East.\n"We want peace with Palestine," Lande said. " I have lived in Israel. I know what it's like to get on a bus, picking my seat carefully wondering if anyone on that bus has a bomb. Palestine must be willing to negotiate and stop all terrorism against Israel."\nPast President of the Jewish Community Martin Spechler said the protest was out of line.\n"To pick out a business because it's Jewish-owned is Nazi-tactics," Spechler said. "I know the president of Starbuck's and his wife, and they are wonderful Americans. They have good business and good coffee. This protest is ineffective and frustrating."\nProtesters and counterprotesters eagerly engaged in conversations with passers-by to explain their points of view. Despite the swelling crowd of impassioned students, Starbuck's was still full of studying students sipping coffee at their laptops. \n"Really, we have no power," Eartheart said. "But we have to do this because our conscious forces us to. To not do anything would be criminal."\nDabis said she feels misunderstood and wishes to communicate this to others. \n"They think I support the Palestinian bombings because of this protest, and I don't," Dabis said. "I don't think they understand where we're coming from."\nTo counterprotest the demonstration, Jon Berne, president of Alpha Epsilon Pi, gathered $256 from his house account and the brothers today to donate to Starbuck's to counteract any lost money because of the protest. Since Starbuck's cannot accept cash, they used the money to pay for the next $256 worth of coffee orders, allowing for free coffee for some people.\n"This is the best way we could counteract nonviolently," said AEPi member Scott Dobbs. "It's the best we could do as a Jewish community."\nRabbi Sue Shifron, executive director of Hillel House, said the protest was not effective, misguided and even anti-Semetic.\n"We want peace," Shifron said. "It's the only way to solve the problem. Efforts should be used toward that instead of boycotting."\nDabis is optimistic about the efforts of her group, and she said they are doing the right thing.\n"People are starting to open up their minds and starting to see the other side," Dabis said.