A Starbucks store in downtown Chicago Wednesday drew a small crowd of protesters, onlookers — and some law enforcement officials — when two supporters of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals glued their hands to the store’s countertop.
According to a media release, the “glue-in,” was which was livestreamed on Facebook, was in protest of Starbucks’s upcharge for non-dairy milk.
“A Buddhist monk wearing traditional robes has superglued his hand to the café counter at the Starbucks store at the intersection of E. Adams Street and S. Michigan Avenue downtown and is surrounded by PETA supporters chanting, “Save the planet! Save the cows! Stop the vegan upcharge now!”, the release read.
Starbuck’s currently charges customers around 70 cents extra for plant-based milk in beverages.
Video from the event shows two protestors — one wearing a shirt that says “END VEGAN MILK UPCHARGE” and one wearing a black and orange robe — each with a hand glued to the Starbucks countertop.
“We are here with PETA at this Chicago location Starbucks to let them know to wake up and to stop charging extra for plant based, animal and earth friendly milk options,” one protester tells the crowd.
“No one should be penalized for choosing sustainable options.”
As the protest continues, video shows a Chicago police officer as well as the store manager asking the protesters to remove their glued hands and move their protest outside.
“You can go outside, and you can protest all day long,” the officer says. “But you can’t do it on private property. They have a right to maintain their private property,” the officer continued, referring to the Starbucks shop.
The protesters were eventually able to unglue their hands from the counter with the help of what appeared to be a bucket of ice.
According to police, the two protesters who glued their hands to the countertop were arrested.
A similar “glue-in” took place in May, when actor James Cromwell superglued his hand to the counter of Starbucks in New York city, also in protest of the coffee chain’s upcharge policy for plant-based milks.
“PETA will stick to Starbucks like glue until it agrees to drop the vegan upcharge,” PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman said in the release.