Week 4: A Sidamo Prayer Victory!!
Celebrating the defeat of the Starbucks Ethiopian trademark theft at the Astor Place Starbucks...
Reverend Billy & The Church, Triumphant...
A Celebration and a Warning: Starbucks Backs Down On Pirating Ethiopian Trademarks, Now Will It Trade Fair? Through exorcisms and online outreach the Stop Shopping Church has worked with OxfamAmerica and East African activists to pressure Starbucks to acknowledge the trademark rights of Ethiopian coffee farmers. Owning the trademarks for "Sidamo" and "Harar" coffees would get the farmers a higher sale price in the international market for these elite beans. Ethiopian coffee families have experienced disease and hunger – they are among the poorest people in the world. Starbucks backed down recently on its two year opposition to the Ethiopian trademarks, but now refuses to pay more for the prized coffee.
Meanwhile, our neighborhoods don’t need more of the mono-cultural latte. In the East Village – NO STARBUCKS EAST OF 2ND AVENUE! HALLELUJAH! CHANGE-A-LUJAH!
The Rev, choir and band are thrilled to perform at St. Mark's Church as a rousing send-off to their cinematic adventure at the South By Southwest festival in Austin. 42 troupe members will fly to Texas for the premiere of the Morgan Spurlock-produced What Would Jesus Buy? The film follows the Church as it makes its way in two buses across the country, from Buy Nothing Day in New York City to Christmas Day in Disneyland, trying to "save Christmas from the Shopocalypse." The film features Cash Register Exorcisms at Starbucks stores in Europe and the United States.