See, protesting works!
Call it what you will, but protesting does work.
Check out this situation, per Michelle Malkin, at a LA restaurant:
Employees of the Los Angeles restaurant that came under fire this week after a manager gave $100 to the campaign to ban same-sex marriage in California said they had made a $500 contribution to the advocacy group that is raising money to challenge Proposition 8.
The Thursday online donation to Equality California, an advocacy group for the gay and lesbian community, came at precisely 7:22:03 p.m., about 22 minutes into a planned demonstration outside the restaurant’s doors for the second night in a row.
“It will go toward our work, and our work includes working to overturn Proposition 8,” said Ali Bay, a spokeswoman for Equality California. “We’re working legislatively and through the courts to promote equality for the [lesbian and gay] community.”
Over the last week, online social networking sites and blogs have urged people to boycott El Coyote Mexican Cafe on Beverly Boulevard because of the $100 donation by Marjorie Christoffersen, a manager at the restaurant and a daughter of El Coyote’s owner.
Christoffersen, a Mormon, met with protesters Wednesday, and at one point broke down in tears. But some activists said they still faulted her for making the donation.
According to another manager, Arnoldo Archila, El Coyote employees pooled their money to make the donation — though it wasn’t clear who actually contributed. He said Christoffersen was not involved in the decision.
“Maybe it’s a way to say sorry, that we have always tried to be a charity place, that we donate to a lot of places,” Archila said. “It’s something to show that we can help also.”
Manager Larry Crenshaw gave $50 to “try to smooth things over” and counter the boycott. He said the protests had started to affect employees.
One server called in Thursday worried about going into work. Thursday night crowds grew to about 200 people, and customers leaving the restaurant were called vulgarities, Crenshaw said.
Diners at one table had to be compensated for their $50 tab because their night had been ruined, and patrons celebrating a birthday at an outdoor table had to endure protesters late into the evening, he said.
So the restaurant caves to protest pressure and does a 180 on its contributions. I love it!
Keep the protesting up folks. It works.
More info here: Peace Love Lunges.
November 17th, 2008 11:13
So too does negative campaigning…doesn’t mean you have to like it.
November 17th, 2008 11:14
Didn’t work for McCain, did it?
November 17th, 2008 11:15
Nope, because he was a crappy candidate…you put two even candidates against each other, one stays positive, and one goes negative, I’ll bet my house on the negative campaigner. You don’t have to like it, but it works….as do obnoxious protestors.
November 17th, 2008 11:20
Negative campaigning only works if there is something negative to attach to the other candidate that can be backed up. The American people were not stupid enough (most of them anyway) to be fooled into thinking Obama was a terrorist or Muslim.
“Obnoxious” protesting works because it is a main avenue for voicing displeasure in our political system.
November 17th, 2008 11:21
No, obnoxious protesting in this case worked because a man’s livelihood was threatened by bad publicity..do you really think he changed his mind?
November 17th, 2008 11:22
No surprise…selfish.
November 17th, 2008 11:27
What does changing his mind have to do with anything?
November 17th, 2008 11:29
It’s a superficial change…if this ballot question is back on, perhaps he doesn’t donate again (to avoid this ridiculous behavior), but when he gets in that booth, the vote is truly what they want changed.
November 17th, 2008 11:31
And the $$$$ he has given to the opposite viewpoint might get 5-10 voters on that side. Who knows?
At the end of the day the protesters achieved what they want. It works my friend. And it’s only obnoxious if you think democracy is obnoxious.
Do you find democracy obnoxious, Yankees Fan?
November 17th, 2008 11:34
This isn’t democracy…this is bullying a man and threatening his livelihood…this is disgusting behavior….democracy was when the people voted down Prop. 8 in a fair election process. The people spoke, and now people are angry and lashing out.
I don’t agree with the voters’ decision, but that’s democracy friend.
November 17th, 2008 11:38
The right to assemble peacefully is an essential condition for the exercise of other human rights such as the freedom of expression. As a true foundation of democracy, the right to assemble is guaranteed by major human rights treaties and is allowed by our laws. The framers were smart enough to realize that protesting is an important part of democracy.
Democracy is not just about elections, my friend.
November 17th, 2008 11:39
No one is saying they shouldn’t have this right…it doesn’t mean it isn’t obnoxious and selfish bullying though.
November 17th, 2008 11:40
It’s only obnoxious to the extent that you find democracy obnoxious.
November 17th, 2008 11:42
Wrong…but when you go to someone’s place of livelihood and sabatoge that business..that is obnoxious (to be kind).
November 17th, 2008 11:44
Here is some info on the interaction:
In a dramatic, closed door lunch meeting, the owner of a renowned Mexican eatery in Hollywood expressed regret in her decision to donate $100 to the “Yes on Prop 8″ campaign, but her remarks before a group of about 60 members of Los Angeles’ LGBT community fell short of an outright personal apology.
“I’m sick of heart that I’ve offended anyone in the gay community,” said Marjorie Christofferson, co-owner of El Coyote Mexican Cafe for 17 years. “I have had, and do have family, friends, and people I work with of course who are gay…and you are treasured people to me.”
The tall, frail Christofferson stood in the center of the group. She appeared to be shaking during her prepared remarks which lasted about 3 minutes. Her daughters flanked her to prevent her from fainting, according to a restaurant employee. At several points during her speech, Christofferson simply became too emotional to continue.
El Coyote has become the latest casualty in the local outburst against the passage of Proposition 8, an anti-marriage amendment to the California State Constitution. Dozens of e-mails and websites, including the popular online local guide, Yelp.com, have urged boycotting the legendary cafe in recent days.
Christofferson, who is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, insisted that her donation was personal, and reflected her religious faith.
“I’ve been a member of the Mormon Church all my life,” she said. “This was a personal donation. In like fashion, any employee here would be free to donate, worship or support anything of their personal choosing. Over the years, El Coyote has financially supported many charities and thousands of dollars most particularly have been given to the gay interests and charities. The restaurant does not support any political group.”
In the only question taken by Ms. Christofferson after her remarks, and before those gathered, I asked her directly if she would personally make an equal donation to the campaigns to repeal Proposition 8.
“I cannot change a lifetime of faith,” she said.
Moments later, the same group which had been invited for lunch and margaritas grew increasingly verbal, apparently reacting to the lack of a direct apology from Ms. Christofferson, and she left the building in tears. The group continued to meet for another 30 minutes, before dispersing for what appeared to be a looming boycott. One demonstrator was already shouting outside.
Still, there were some dissenting voices in the room. One woman compared the angry gathering to Nazi Germany, when Hitler’s military singled out individual Jews in a witch hunt for their religious beliefs. “Why are we singling out one restaurant?” the woman asked. “Are you ready to go up against every single restaurant in the city?”
Should the gay community boycott El Coyote?
Openly-gay restaurant manager Billy Schoeppner, announced that El Coyote would make two $5,000 contributions, each to the Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Center and the Lambda Legal Defense Fund. He also asked those gathered to suggest any possible or practical ways the legendary establishment could avert a full-on boycott and PR war by the Los Angeles LGBT community.
Another manager, Arnaldo Archila, outrightly denounced Ms. Christofferson in a forceful statement.
“We don’t share her views as the management,” said Mr. Archila, a native of El Salvador. “They don’t press us to do anything that we don’t want to do, and we never talk about politics or religion. I don’t understand why we got connected to something going on at the top.”
Other restaurant employees also spoke, including a waitress who tearfully worried what would happen to the 89 families that receive some financial support from El Coyote if a boycott were to occur.
Mr. Schoeppner told me privately that in addition to making contributions to the aforementioned charities, that the restaurant was planning to take out full page advertisements in the LA Weekly and Frontiers Newsmagzine to avert a boycott.
“I understand boycotts and protests have been planned. Let me personally take the responsibility for your pain and anger,” said Christoffsen. “El Coyote is no part of what I have done. The only people you will truly hurt are the hundreds of families of mixed origins and sexual diversity who rely on El Coyote to feed their families.”
No cameras were permitted in the rear dining room where the meeting was being held, to the chagrin of some bloggers. A demonstration was set for Thursday night.
http://www.peacelovelunges.com/2008/11/12/el-coyote-owner-expresses-regret-over-prop-8-contribution-but-boycott-looms/
November 17th, 2008 18:26
YF said… This isn’t democracy…this is bullying a man and threatening his livelihood…this is disgusting behavior…
Just out of interest, do you feel the same way about the people who protest in the front of medical facilities that perform abortions? No accusation here. Just wondering.
I think the donation of $100 was democracy. So was the protest of that action, including the call for a boycott. So is the protest of LDS. Blocking patrons from entering the restaurant would not be, nor would physical threats or harassment.
YF, I think I’m kinda’ seeing a point of view that it’s OK to advocate a position, but it’s not OK for the people impacted by that position to call you on it. Sorry, but being forced to shut up and take it has never been democracy.
November 17th, 2008 19:38
LFC, all very fair points. I sense a little hypocrisy in YF’s position as well.
November 17th, 2008 19:41
[...] Yankees Fan, I’ll give you that this gets a bit out of control when it comes to the physical nature of [...]
November 18th, 2008 09:50
Shut up and taking it is not what I’m saying. I’ve already said that peaceful protests are great, useful, and worthwhile…it’s those that try to harm others to make up for the harm that you are feeling that is disgusting and intolerable. The people voted down Prop 8, that sucks, but you don’t start going to someone’s place of work to attack their livelihood…that’s not okay.
As scholar’s most recent post shows, there’s a little bit of hypocracy everywhere, in that those prop 8 protestors weren’t too happy when a bunch of Christians were demonstrating in their neighborhood.
November 18th, 2008 09:53
So just to be clear, are you for or against protesting outside of abortion clinics and harassing the young women that go in and out of them?
November 18th, 2008 12:22
No, that’s ridiculous. I’m very consistent, I’ve said this all along. This whole thing started with my criticism of conservative Baptists protesting Obama’s grandmother’s funeral.