On Wednesday morning, a group of protesters gathered outside a coffee shop in Brooklyn after a social media post from the owner compared Israel to Nazi Germany. The owner also declared a refusal to serve pro-Israel politicians.
The demonstrators chanted phrases like “End Jewish hatred” and “This will not be tolerated,” facing off against a smaller group of counter-protesters, many of whom were rabbis from the Union of Jews Against Zionism. These counter-protesters waved Palestinian flags and verbally criticized Israel through loudspeakers.
Tempers flared as the two groups clashed on the sidewalk in front of Poetica Coffee in Park Slope, sometimes getting in each other’s faces until the NYPD arrived to separate them.
Daniel Rosen, President of the Impact Group, who had just flown in from Israel, stated, “We will not allow companies or individuals to discriminate against anyone, including Jews, simply because they support Israel, the only Jewish community in the entire world.”
The coffee shop also criticized New York State Assemblyman Dan Goldman, who had visited the store recently. He shared a photo online and made comments questioning whether the coffee might taste like “genocide juice.”
In response, the shop stated publicly, “Look, here at Poetica, we do not serve racists, fascists, homophobes, genocide promoters, or anyone in between,” urging that no one should ever visit again.
After these events, the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division initiated an investigation, indicating that enforcement actions against the store could follow.
