California Coffee Shop Refuses to Serve Cops

ExtraCrispy Staff
Updated
Hasta Muerte Coffee in Oakland won't serve police to protect the "physical and emotional safety of our customers"

Police need not stop into Hasta Muerte Coffee in Oakland, California, to get their morning caffeine fix. That’s because, according to a recent Instagram post, the boys in blue are not welcome at the Fruitvale District shop. The post, which went up on February 22, says “Habla Con Tus Vecinx No Con La Policia” which translates to “Talk to your neighbors, not the police” and is accompanied by a long explanation of the policy.

The coffee shop is an employee-owned co-op and, according to its website, the employees are “committed to nurturing community while serving the best coffee.” But, apparently this nurturing doesn’t extend to police officers.

Last Friday February 16th a police (OPD) entered our shop and was told by one of our worker-owners that “we have a policy of asking police to leave for the physical and emotional safety of our customers and ourselves.” Since then, cop supporters are trying to publicly shame us online with low reviews because this particular police visitor was Latino. He broadcasted to his network that he was “refused service” at a local business and now the rumblings are spreading. We know in our experience working on campaigns against police brutality that we are not alone saying that police presence compromises our feeling of physical & emotional safety. There are those that do not share that sentiment - be it because they have a friend or relative who is a police, because they are white or have adopted the privileges whiteness affords, because they are home- or business- owning, or whatever the particular case may be. If they want to make claims about police being part of the community, or claims that race trumps the badge & gun when it comes to police, they must accept that the burden of proof for such a claim is on them. OPDs recent attempts to enlist officers of color and its short term touting of fewer officer involved shootings does not reverse or mend its history of corruption, mismanagement, and scandal, nor a legacy of blatant repression. The facts are that poc, women, and queer police are complicit in upholding the same law and order that routinely criminalizes and terrorizes black and brown and poor folks, especially youth, trans, and houseless folks. For these reasons and so many more, we need the support of the actual community to keep this place safe, not police. Especially in an area faced by drug sales and abuse, homelessness, and toxic masculinity as we see here on this block. We want to put this out to our communities now, in case we end up facing backlash because as we know OPD, unlike the community, has tons of resources, many of which are poured into maintaining smooth public relations to uphold power. It will be no surprise if some of those resources are steered toward discrediting us for not inviting them in as part of the community.

A post shared by Hasta Muerte Coffee (@hastamuertecoffee) on Feb 22, 2018 at 7:47pm PST

According to the Instagram post, it all started on February 16 when a local police officer attempted to introduce himself and purchase a cup of coffee at the shop and was promptly told to leave. Confused, he asked why he was being denied service. He was told that the shop has a policy of not serving police officers because of “the physical and emotional safety of our customers and ourselves.”

If the policy wasn’t news before that interaction, it quickly spread throughout the city. The employees claim that because of their choice not to serve the officer, they have since been bullied online with low reviews.

“He broadcasted to his network that he was ‘refused service’ at a local business and now the rumblings are spreading,” the post states. Although no one from the coffee shop wanted to comment on the policy, its Instagram post makes the decision and its reasoning very clear: “We know in our experience working on campaigns against police brutality that we are not alone saying that police presence compromises our feeling of physical & emotional safety.”

It goes on to detail the reasoning for the policy and the fact that many people in the community will disagree with it for various reasons.

“If they want to make claims about police being part of the community or claims that race trumps the badge and gun when it comes to police, they must accept that the burden of proof for such a claim is on them,” the post continues.

Some of you might have seen this new setup wondering what it is. Well, do you know, like really know, that we are on Ohlone Land? One of the most obvious effects of colonialism is contributing to the erasure and displacement of the original land stewards by being complicit in capitalism, white supremacy, and gentrification. We are hosting a “solidarity jar”- it is as simple as it sounds. Start to move beyond awareness; help facilitate the return of Chochenyo and Karkin Ohlone lands to indigenous stewardship by donating and telling your networks about this project. Swipe right for more info on the Sogorea Te’ Land Trust led by indigenous women, then make sure you contribute & stay tuned for news on a related event! ????

A post shared by Hasta Muerte Coffee (@hastamuertecoffee) on Feb 8, 2018 at 12:08pm PST

They go on to reference their stance that hiring officers of color doesn’t diminish the memory of “corruption, mismanagement, and scandal, nor a legacy of blatant repression.”

They also call for support from the community to keep the peace, instead of the police. “We want to put this out to our communities now, in case we end up facing backlash because as we know OPD, unlike the community, has tons of resources, many of which are poured into maintaining smooth public relations to uphold power.”

One of the more outspoken community members against this policy is Fruitvale District City Councilmember Noel Gallo. Recently, Gallo talked to the owners of Hasta Muerte and asked about the policy and its consequences.

"My understanding is they're not going to serve police officers," Gallo told KTVU in Oakland. "I think we need to work together, not against each other."

The Oakland police department sent a letter to the business in an attempt to discuss and resolve the issue. But, so far, they haven’t received a response.