Actor James Cromwell Superglues Hand to Starbucks Counter to Protest Non-Dairy Milk Prices
Actor James Cromwell took part in a dramatic protest against Starbucks by supergluing his hand to the counter in a Manhattan location.
The protest, which was seemingly organized by members of PETA, was in response to the coffee company's supposed policy of up-charging customers more for non-dairy milk products, according to Page Six.
In videos recorded at the scene, the Succession actor can be heard reciting his points while interrupting the flow of the store.
"The company claims to be committed to inclusion and diversity, but it still discriminates against those that can't have dairy," he said. "The exorbitant fee disproportionately affects people of color who have a much higher rate of lactose intolerance."
He shared stats that suggest a large portion of Asian, Native and African Americans "cannot digest cow's milk."
"Save the rabbit, save the cow. End the vegan up-charge now," other protesters can be heard shouting in a clip that was posted on the New York Post's TikTok account. Watch it below:
Cromwell can be seen sitting on the counter next to another person in a video clip posted by CBS News on YouTube. Both he and his fellow protester are wearing PETA shirts and are surrounded by others carrying signs.
"When will you stop charging us more for vegan milk?" the actor asks in the second segment. "When will you stop raking in huge profits, while customers, animals and the environment suffer?"
The footage also captured the moment a police officer came in to break up the protest. The officer sent the mobile protesters outside and was prepared to bring in someone to detach Cromwell from the counter.
Before that was necessary, the actor used a knife to break the seal on the glue and free himself.
Watch it all go down below:
Starbucks commented on the protest in a statement shared with Page Six. “We respect our customers' rights to respectfully voice their opinions as long as it doesn’t disrupt store operations,” a spokesperson explained.
The publication notes that Cromwell was later heard calling the protest a success. He appears to have escaped the countertop unscathed.