Former LOONA member Chuu recently released Episode 12 of her Howl in USA tour vlog series to her YouTube channel from when she was touring the U.S. last year. The latest episode was an American snack review and mukbang.
Fans noticed that in the clip where Chuu ate ramen in the waiting room, she also had a drink from the American coffee chain Starbucks. Previously, she also uploaded a photo of Disney merchandise, tagging the company’s Korean account.
please message chuu about the starbucks boycott, we need to educate them on this. pic.twitter.com/NfZNPd8udW
— boop (@boopsverse) April 8, 2024
Chuu – Loona
Disney
Starbucks pic.twitter.com/t2YAFb17Zw
— rin fimchella (@rin13434O) April 9, 2024
Netizens were disappointed, as both companies are currently boycotted. Even some of the snacks she consumed were part of boycotts.
Since October, the death toll in the Gaza Strip has reportedly surpassed 33,207 due to Israeli attacks. The surviving Palestinians in Gaza are struggling to survive as over 75,993 are injured, starving, displaced, and lost homes, family, and friends.
Around 1 in every 25 Palestinians in Gaza are now injured or dead, Islamic Relief says as Israel’s bombardment continues unabated.
— ReliefWeb
More people worldwide are becoming aware of this humanitarian crisis and hoping to do their part in making a difference. So, BDS (Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions) is an entity that has helped identify brands that should be targeted in boycotts. The Palestinian BDS National Committee shared a list of brands to boycott, placing them in categories. Popular fast-food chains, such as McDonald’s and Starbucks, are organic targets, although the latter was not on BDS’s boycott list. Disney is included in the pressure targets.
The BDS movement did not initiate these grassroots boycott campaigns but is in support of them due to these brands openly supporting Israel’s genocide against Palestinians.
— BDS on organic boycott targets
Disney is included in the pressure targets. On October 12, 2023, The Walt Disney Company announced it had donated significant amounts of money to Israel.
In October 2023, the worker-led union of Starbucks, representing at least 9,000 employees, shared a post via X (formerly Twitter). In the statement, Starbucks Workers United stood in solidarity with Palestine.
As of June 2023, over 8,000 workers at over 360 Starbucks stores in at least 40 states in the United States have voted to unionize, primarily with Workers United. As of March 2023 none have yet enacted a collective bargaining agreement.
— Wikipedia
Starbucks Workers United stands with Palestine. pic.twitter.com/A0Rg63b7sp
— Starbucks Workers United (@SBWorkersUnited) October 20, 2023
Shortly after, Starbucks released its own statements, which denounced the union. Starbucks did not want to be associated with the union’s stance.
Starbucks wanted to stop the union from using its name and logo, saying the company had no official stance on the war and the union’s post might confuse customers. But many boycotters, like Blake, thought Starbucks should offer more support to the people of Gaza.
— AP News
| Starbucks | Starbucks
Starbucks then sued its employees on October 18 for trademark infringement. The company claimed the social media post angered its customers and had the potential to damage the company’s reputation. Starbucks’ actions only disappointed customers.
| Starbucks | Starbucks
Since then, Starbucks has been boycotted worldwide as customers thought it was unethical of Starbucks to sue its employees for their stance on the humanitarian issue. Consequently, Starbucks lost $12 billion USD in market value, with some locations even closing and filing bankruptcy in many countries.
Many people do not understand but Boycott has caused Starbucks alone to lose $12 Billion and many of the Starbucks are being closed due to that.
Boycott works
Watch the video pic.twitter.com/UZk71GdPx1
— William B. (@The_NightReport) December 25, 2023
Recently, Workers United and Starbucks began discussions to build “a productive relationship in the best interests of Starbucks partners.” Still, many are continuing to boycott the coffee chain.
We have agreed with Workers United that we will begin discussions on a foundational framework designed to achieve collective bargaining agreements, including a fair process for organizing, and the resolution of some outstanding litigation.
— Starbucks
A giant step forward made possible by thousands and thousands of us joining together and speaking out…
THIS IS HUGE. pic.twitter.com/zZZ57Am0Bm
— Starbucks Workers United (@SBWorkersUnited) February 27, 2024
So, since Chuu’s recent vlog was uploaded, her comments across social media have flooded with netizens calling her out for drinking Starbucks. Her last Instagram post’s comment section was divided.
Some fans are genuinely attempting to educate the idol, while some netizens are harassing her. Many are upset due to past hate netizens directed at other idols who consumed Starbucks. Read more below.
