2008 Woodie Awards
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Students lead protest of Coca-Cola
KRISTEN COULTER
Issue date: 11/28/07 Section: News
- Page 1 of 1
A group of University students are protesting Coca-Cola this week.
Members of the Rhetoric of Social Movement class are protesting against Coke because of allegations about the company's business practices.
Kirsten Lee, a senior and member of the class, said the class was divided into groups and instructed to "participate in or activate a social movement."
"We wanted something that would be controversial," Lee said. "This is really interesting because Coke is so supported on our campus."
The group planned one protest activity for each day. On Monday and Tuesday, they put up fliers and posters. Today, they plan to unplug or put out of order signs on campus vending machines. On Thursday, they will host an information session and debate in the SLC.
Mike Ward, manager of vending and solicitation for Vending Services, said Coke machines on campus generate about $1.6 to $1.8 million annually. He said the University receives a commission of $600,000.
These students in the class are not alone in their Coke protest.
According to www.killercoke.org, a Web site that protests Coca-Cola, groups from about 190 colleges and universities in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany and Italy are protesting Coke. Some of the universities in the United States are Emory University, New York University and the College of Charleston.
The group and killercoke.org accuse Coke of destroying the potable drinking water in Mexico, creating water shortages in India and hiring a militia to murder nine union members.
Kirsten Witt, a spokesperson for Coca-Cola, disputed these claims in a telephone interview Tuesday.
"Killer Coke is a Web site managed by a group of professional activists and is full of myths and rumors that have been proven false," Witt said.
Witt said Coca-Cola follows laws in the countries where they bottle products.
In response to the allegations in Columbia, Witt said the claims have been investigated by Columbian and United States' courts and were dropped.
Witt sent The Red & Black the U.S. District Court documents on the case.
In the case dismissal, Judge Martinez wrote, "There is an utter absence of specific allegations connecting the murder of Gil or the kidnapping of Cardona to the conspiracy."
Witt said Coke "would like to talk to the students and give them the facts."
She directed anyone interested to a Web site run by Coca-Cola, www.cokefacts.com.
Members of the Rhetoric of Social Movement class are protesting against Coke because of allegations about the company's business practices.
Kirsten Lee, a senior and member of the class, said the class was divided into groups and instructed to "participate in or activate a social movement."
"We wanted something that would be controversial," Lee said. "This is really interesting because Coke is so supported on our campus."
The group planned one protest activity for each day. On Monday and Tuesday, they put up fliers and posters. Today, they plan to unplug or put out of order signs on campus vending machines. On Thursday, they will host an information session and debate in the SLC.
Mike Ward, manager of vending and solicitation for Vending Services, said Coke machines on campus generate about $1.6 to $1.8 million annually. He said the University receives a commission of $600,000.
These students in the class are not alone in their Coke protest.
According to www.killercoke.org, a Web site that protests Coca-Cola, groups from about 190 colleges and universities in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany and Italy are protesting Coke. Some of the universities in the United States are Emory University, New York University and the College of Charleston.
The group and killercoke.org accuse Coke of destroying the potable drinking water in Mexico, creating water shortages in India and hiring a militia to murder nine union members.
Kirsten Witt, a spokesperson for Coca-Cola, disputed these claims in a telephone interview Tuesday.
"Killer Coke is a Web site managed by a group of professional activists and is full of myths and rumors that have been proven false," Witt said.
Witt said Coca-Cola follows laws in the countries where they bottle products.
In response to the allegations in Columbia, Witt said the claims have been investigated by Columbian and United States' courts and were dropped.
Witt sent The Red & Black the U.S. District Court documents on the case.
In the case dismissal, Judge Martinez wrote, "There is an utter absence of specific allegations connecting the murder of Gil or the kidnapping of Cardona to the conspiracy."
Witt said Coke "would like to talk to the students and give them the facts."
She directed anyone interested to a Web site run by Coca-Cola, www.cokefacts.com.
Viewing Comments 1 - 10 of 22
Jon Beck
posted 11/28/07 @ 7:39 AM EST
One more reason to protest coke; the price of a 20 oz bottle of has gone from 99 cents to $1.39 in a couple of years. It costs them almost nothing to actually make the drink. (Continued…)
Kevin Davis
posted 11/28/07 @ 9:37 AM EST
Wow, unplugging vending machines... way to vandalize someone else's property! I don't drink Coke very often, but I'm definitely going to buy one today. (Continued…)
zaid
posted 11/28/07 @ 10:29 AM EST
"Wow, unplugging vending machines... way to vandalize someone else's property! I don't drink Coke very often, but I'm definitely going to buy one today. (Continued…)
Phillip Ray
posted 11/28/07 @ 10:48 AM EST
Wow Zaid......are you still talking?
Josh Delaney
posted 11/28/07 @ 11:42 AM EST
You all are just a bunch of ignorant activists with nothing else to do. why don't you actually do some research before you vandalize machinery at http://www. (Continued…)
OUT OF ORDER
posted 11/28/07 @ 1:31 PM EST
I'm a member of the group that is doing the project. The point is not to vandalize, and as a group last night, we decided not to do any unplugging of machines across campus because it is illegal. (Continued…)
Robert
posted 11/28/07 @ 1:50 PM EST
Give me a break a company as large as Coke there are bound to be some rumors of misconduct at some part of the world. If you take some left wing site at face value and do not investigate the facts yourself you are an idiot. (Continued…)
CloneWars
posted 11/28/07 @ 3:21 PM EST
It's a vast left wing conspiracy founded by Pepsi. Lemmings! You are all LEMMINGS!
Frank J
posted 11/28/07 @ 8:52 PM EST
Frank J here.
The ignorance of University students never fails to amaze me. I should be numb by now but the idiotic hijinks of retarded protesting students still causes me to shake my head and wonder why such trash is allowed to pollute my beloved Athens by them living here. (Continued…)
Daniel A.
posted 11/28/07 @ 9:53 PM EST
My god... I'm continually disappointed in some of the student body at UGA. I can't believe we walk amongst such tools.
Since you're all so brilliant, why don't you take the time to look up the preposterous claims that you are basing your protests on? You would find most all of them utterly false. (Continued…)
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