For Immediate Release:
April 29, 2022
Contact:
Megan Wiltsie 202-483-7382
Seattle – Heads up, Howard! This Sunday, members of PETA and Animal Rights Initiative (ARI) will be unmissable outside Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz’s lakeside gated community, bearing giant photos of his face and calling him out for charging customers extra for the animal-friendly vegan milks the company already agrees are better for the planet. Starbucks gave former CEO Kevin Johnson a $60 million payout when he stepped down in March, which alone could have offset nearly 86 million 70-cent vegan milk upcharges.
When: Sunday, May 1, 10:30 a.m.
Where: At the intersection of 43rd Avenue E. and E. Garfield Street, Seattle
“If Howard Schultz thinks Starbucks can get away with milking customers who care about animals and the planet, he’s in for a brewed awakening,” says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. “PETA is calling on Starbucks to drop the upcharge on vegan options that slash carbon emissions and leave mother cows and their calves in peace.”
Starbucks’ upcharge for vegan milks is also under attack for penalizing those who are lactose intolerant and those prescribed a low-cholesterol diet. This will mark PETA and ARI’s 99th consecutive day of protesting the vegan upcharge in Seattle. Last week, two PETA supporters were arrested after supergluing their hands to the café counter at Starbucks’ headquarters.
