On 1 March Eastbourne Council will be making a decision whether to allow the opening of a drive through Starbucks at the Tesco store in Eastbourne's Lottbridge Drove. 

Eastbourne Palestine Solidarity Campaign has contacted the Chair of our planning committe Councillor Parker to ask that they oppose the opening of another Starbucks in the town. 

Starbucks is often under scrutiny for its ties to geopolitical issues including its connections to Israel.  They have already attempted to sue their own workers' union for expressing solidarity with the people of Palestine.

One significant aspect of Starbucks’ potential support for Israel lies in its largest private shareholder, Howard Schultz. Schultz, known for his staunch support of Zionism, holds a considerable stake in Starbucks and has shown support for Israel’s economy. Notably, Schultz made headlines with a substantial $1.7 billion investment in an Israeli cybersecurity startup named Wiz. This investment underscores Schultz’s commitment to Israel’s economic growth and technological advancements, prompting questions about Starbucks’ indirect alignment with Israeli interests.

We support the boycotting of all businesses that sell Israeli goods or provide any sort of financial or political support for the genocidal regime of Israel.  We do not believe that the people of Eastbourne would want to be aiding such a regime by drinking Starbucks coffee.

Boycotts worked to help bring down the apartheid regime of South Africa and we believe boycotts could also help bring down the apartheid system of Israel. Already Starbucks has lost $11bn in market value because of boycotts. Many other businesses have chosen to withdraw their support for Israel because of the boycott movement. Such as Puma who has withdrawn their sponsorship of the Israeli football team.

Please sign our petition and stop Starbucks opening another branch in Eastbourne.