Campaign to Stop Killer Coke Newsletter Archive Archive
Campaign to Stop Killer Coke News 2009 Archive Archive
Campaign to Stop Killer Coke News 2008 Archive Archive
Campaign to Stop Killer Coke News 2007 Archive Archive
Campaign to Stop Killer Coke News 2006 Archive Archive
Campaign to Stop Killer Coke News 2005 Archive Archive
Campaign to Stop Killer Coke News 2004 Archive Archive
Campaign to Stop Killer Coke News 2003 Archive Archive
The Courier Leader, "Lawsuit charges Paw Paw Coca-Cola plant with well water contamination," By Deborah Klinger, May 3, 2010 Read Article " The New York law firm Weitz and Luxenberg, P.C., announced on Tuesday, April 27 that the firm had filed a lawsuit against Coca-Cola for damages due to ground water contamination at its Paw Paw plant. The law firm alleges that the Paw Paw Coca-Cola plant's practice of spraying juice waste onto their fields located behind their facility led to heavy metals leeching into the water supply. These heavy metals, which include arsenic, iron and manganese, have been linked to cancer."
Wood8tv, "Paw Paw suit filed against Coca-Cola: Erin Brockovich involved in contamination case," April 27, 2010 Read Article "The firm Weitz & Luxenberg announced the lawsuit, which was filed in Van Buren County, Tuesday. It charges Coca-Cola with contaminating Paw Paw's drinking water with chemical pollutants that have migrated onto plaintiff's properties from the company's Minute Maid facility on Red Arrow Highway.
"Coca-Cola has sprayed waste water onto the soil for more than 30 years, according to the seven-county complaint. That pollution has affected the nearby groundwater, which shows detectable levels of heavy metals including arsenic, lead, iron and manganese. People in the community also have also reported health issues, including gastrointestinal, kidney and central nervous system disorders."
The Daily Evergreen, "Students protest Coca-Cola contract: Some students raise concerns about human rights as WSU considers Coke contract renewal," By Rachel Webber, April 30, 2010 Read Article “ 'I have sent Coke three e-mails requesting a meeting,' he said. 'We sent some back and forth in the beginning of the semester. They are a private company, and they had some demands on how the meeting was supposed to be structured.' [Grad student Michael] Schwartz says Coke refused to meet with students because the students wanted to include a representative from Killer Coke, an anti-Coke activist group."
WestEnder.com, "The Coca-Cola Case," By Andrew Weichel, Week of April 29 Read the original
THE COCA-COLA CASE
Directed by Carmen Garcia and German Gutierrez
"Coca-Cola made headlines earlier this year when the corporation tried to shut down screenings of this, directors Carmen Garcia and German Gutierrez’s documentary — and it’s not hard to see why. The film follows a pair of U.S. lawyers attempting to tie the soft-drink giant to the kidnapping, murder, and torture of union leaders and their families in South America, and there will no doubt be viewers who walk away pledging never to burn their tongues on Coke’s product again.
"Much of The Coca-Cola Case takes place in Colombia, a country attorney Daniel Kovalik calls the “trade union murder capital of the world, by far.” He claims 4,000 assassinations of union members have been carried out in that country in the past 24 years, including eight at Coke’s franchise bottling plant. Kovalik and colleague Terry Collingsworth have spent almost 10 years trying to hold the company’s U.S. headquarters accountable, and the documentary’s draw comes from the lingering, far-fetched possibility they could actually succeed.
"This is serious subject matter, and the film is appropriately sombre in tone, with none of the amusing musical montages or attention-grabbing publicity stunts of a Michael Moore doc. Garcia and Gutierrez keep behind the lens, letting Kovalik, Collingsworth, “Stop Killer Coke” campaign leader Ray Rogers, and a handful of union and non-union Coke workers in Colombia and Guatemala speak for themselves.
"Since Coca-Cola representatives declined to appear, the company is defended by stock footage of CEO Neville Isdell at a shareholders’ meeting, and by students at a pro-free-market demonstration at the University of Chicago, where earnest participants bear signs reading “Fuck Human Rights.” It’s hardly balanced, but justice-thirsty movie patrons will be too incensed to mind."
Killer Cola - Just Do It 2 & 3, Civil Disobedience Belgium
Straight.com, "The Coca-Cola Case," By Mark Harris, April 29, 2010 Read Article "The allegations against Coca-Cola corporation reported by Canadian documentarists German Gutiérrez and Carmen Garcia are certainly extensive: links to the murderers of trade unionists in Colombia and Guatemala; drying up village wells in India; collaborating with genocidal maniacs in Sudan. Two U.S. courts have dismissed these allegations, but if this film doesn’t make you join the Pepsi Generation, nothing will."
NACLA, "An Anti-Coke Campaign Effervesces at NYU," By Jason Farbman, April 22, 2010 Read Article "On April 26, the New York University Coalition to Keep Coca-Cola Off Campus will launch its new campaign to ban all Coke’s products from the campus. The campaign seeks to highlight the Coca-Cola’s refusal to allow an independent investigation into the killing of eight members of SINALTRAINAL, the union that represents workers at Coke’s bottling plants in Colombia...
"...After years of organizing, students eventually won for a first time in 2005, and NYU became the 12th U.S. campus to ban Coke. By February 2009 the list had grown to 50. At NYU, however, the university Senate (where only 22 of 80 seats are held by students) ignored two separate student votes, and the ban was removed. In a sharp letter denouncing the decision, Jeff Olshansky, the co-chair of NYU Law Students for Economic Justice and one of the principal organizers working to renew the Coke ban wrote, 'NYU made a promise to these Colombian workers and they broke that promised...NYU decided to put their financial relationship with Coke above human rights.' ”
express buzz, "A K Antony urged to help set up tribunal," By Express News Service, April 25, 2010 Read Article "...they have requested to set up a tribunal to assess each individual case, as recommended by the high-power multidisciplinary committee. 'The politics of Plachimada issue is beyond party politics, with both the LDF and the UDF supporting the victims of corporate avarice - it is the politics of how our scarce natural resources should be managed for the benefit of all,’ said the appeal.
"The Committee also found that the Cola company had violated a number of laws including Water Act, 1974, Environment Protection Act, 1986, the Factories Act 1948, Hazardous Waste Rules, 1989, SC-ST Act 1989, Land Utilisation order 1967 and the Kerala Ground Water Act among others."
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, "Mixed emotions at Coca-Cola annual meeting," By Jeremiah McWilliams, April 21, 2010 Read Article "Ray Rogers, a longtime Coca-Cola foe and organizer with the Campaign to Stop Killer Coke, was the first to jump to a microphone when the floor was opened for shareholder questions. He accused the company of 'bullying and intimidation tactics' in South American labor practices."
Press Release, "Coca-Cola Shareholders Warned of Liabilities in India: Company Management Being Seriously Derelict in its Duties,” India Resource Center, April 21, 2010 Read Release "It is only a matter of time before the Coca-Cola company will be held financially and criminally liable for their operations in water-stressed areas in India, Coca-Cola shareholders were told today at the company’s shareholder meeting in Atlanta. 'The company management is being seriously derelict in its duties by not acknowledging the real extent of the liabilities Coca-Cola has incurred and continues to incur in India,' said Amit Srivastava of the India Resource Center, an international campaigning organization, at the shareholders meeting."
Yahoo News, "Cola giants criticised amid India water crisis," By Rupam Jain Nair, April 21, 2010 Read Article "A pollution fine for Coca-Cola and an order for PepsiCo to cut water use at factories in India have highlighted an intensifying conflict between big business and farmers over natural resources. Last month, a report commissioned by the southern state of Kerala ordered Coca-Cola to pay 47 million dollars in compensation for polluting agricultural land and extracting too much groundwater at a bottling plant."
Amit Srivastava
Free Speech Radio News, "Advocates press Coca-Cola on destructive practices in India" Listen to interview "Today, Coca-Cola company held its annual shareholders meeting in Atlanta. Coca-Cola generated $8.2 billion in profits last year. In India – a country the company calls a key emerging market - sales increased by 21 percent in the last quarter of 2009. But critics say this growth has a tremendous price on the local communities and the environment, where the company oversees more than forty bottling plants and is the largest domestic buyer of sugar. Last month, a government committee in Kerala found that Coca-Cola should be held liable for $48 million in damages and was responsible for residents' health problems and water pollution.
"These issues were brought to the shareholders meeting today by Amit Srivastava, coordinator with the India Resource Center, an advocacy organization that monitors globalization in India. He joins us by mobile phone in Atlanta."
Reuters, "Coke CEO aims to ease union fears over delivery routes: Coke CEO says that 7-Eleven test is just a test," By Martinne Geller, April 21, 2010 Read Article "A handful of Teamsters members handed out fliers and held placards outside the meeting venue in Duluth, Georgia, near Coke's Atlanta headquarters. 'We have some concerns about the way Coke is doing their business ... Our main concerns are treatment (of workers), fairness and the direction the company is taking,' said national Teamsters organizer Steve Jones."
QSR Web, "Coca-Cola shareholders to challenge use of Bisphenol-A in cans," April 21, 2010 Read Article "Scientific studies indicate that BPA is an endocrine-disrupting chemical that mimics estrogen in the body. Numerous animal studies link BPA, even at very low doses, to changes in brain structure, immune system, and male and female reproductive systems changes. A recent study in the Journal of the American Medical Association links BPA exposures in humans to cardiovascular disease, diabetes and liver enzyme abnormalities. Health Canada, a Canadian federal agency, has warned that BPA can leak into beverages."
LHMU News, "The freedom to speak out," April 12, 2010 Read Article "Melbourne’s Alen Praporski has worked at Coca Cola for almost two decades. He has been to stop-work meetings, tribunal hearings and protests. He and fellow members have won countless union agreements. Not once has his life been threatened. But for his comrades at Coca Cola in Colombia, it is a very different story."
About LHMU: "The LHMU is an organisation of over 120,000 Australian workers, united by our belief in the dignity of workers and the right to fair and just treatment at work. We are an active union, and we are passionate about organising to win."
The New York Times, "Body Talk: Questions for Jane Fonda," By Deborah Solomon, April 17, 2010 Read Interview "As the founder of the first World Fitness Day, which will be held in Atlanta on May 1, you will be leading what might be called the biggest gym class ever." "We’re taking over the Georgia Dome, which is home of the Atlanta Falcons. It can hold 3,000 people on the floor and other people in the stands. A friend of mine e-mailed and said that with all that music and fun it sounds like Woodstock without the drugs and the rain."
"Is there anything odd about holding World Fitness Day in Atlanta, headquarters of Coca-Cola, whose sugar-laden drinks are fueling an obesity epidemic?" "Coca-Cola is one of our sponsors. Coke is making a huge effort to put out healthy drinks. For example, in schools it doesn’t put out sugary soft drinks anymore."
"Only in this country. Kids in Mexico and elsewhere can still drink Coke with their school lunch and rot their teeth. Any thoughts on the soda tax being considered by various states?" "I think it’s great. I believe in sin taxes."
[Coca-Cola, with so much of its money spent on public relations, is certainly able to buy off people, schools, nonprofits and companies all over the world. However, Coke will not be happy with Jane Fonda's support of "sin taxes" which they are spending lot of cash to stop.]
Daily Sound, "Bottled water means garbage," By Ray Estrada, April 17, 2010 Read Article "One of the easiest ways to celebrate Earth Day 2010 is to carry drinking water in a metal flask or other reusable container, instead of a plastic bottle, conservationists say.
"Bottled water produces up to 1.5 million tons of plastic waste per year, according to Mother Nature Network, or MNN. Scientists reported an area or the world’s oceans twice the size of Texas has been polluted by plastic, mainly from bottles. The marketers of bottled water want buyers to think something is special about the liquid they sell for a dollar or more inside a plastic container – but it’s usually just H2O with a fancy label."
Reuters, "Teamsters say Coke pilot plan could cut jobs: Coke bottler to test new plan w/7-Eleven, Costco," By Martinne Geller, April 16, 2010 Read Article "Teamsters say hundreds of jobs could be on the line...Coca-Cola Enterprises Inc. is testing a new method of delivering Coca-Cola drinks to 7-Eleven stores in Southern California, using Costco Wholesale Corp. as an intermediary.
"The test was first disclosed by officials from the Teamsters labor union, which said it had the potential to eliminate hundreds of union jobs, since it involves the use of a third-party logistics company in addition to employees of Coca-Cola Enterprises, which produces, bottles and distributes Coke drinks."
Teamsters Rally at Coke's Shareholders' Meeting "TELL COKE: RESPECT WORKERS RIGHTS! RALLY TO SUPPORT COKE ORGANIZING IN ATLANTA" View Local 728's Call to the Rally Local 728 is organizing workers at two Coca Cola Enterprises bottling plants in Atlanta. The Company is engaging in acts of discrimination and harassment of union supporters. Show your support at Coke’s annual shareholders meeting with union members from throughout the country, community groups, and local Coke workers at this important event.
If you are in the Atlanta area, please join us at the Gwinnett Center Grand Ballroom, 6400 Sugarloaf Pkwy, Duluth, GA. Directions are spelled out in Local 728's Call to the Rally linked above.
The Sydney Morning Herald, "US fizzes as Bolivia produces the real thing," By Rory Carroll, April 16, 2010 Read Article "A certain United States soft drink giant may disagree, but Bolivia has come up with a fizzy beverage it says is the real thing. The drink, Coca Colla, made from the coca leaf and named after the indigenous Colla people from Bolivia's highlands, went on sale this week across the country."
Wind Times of Chile, "Putting the Coca Back In Cola: Bolivia launches new coca leaf energy drink," By Laura Bugoine, April 6, 2020 Read Article "A group of farmers in Central Bolivia’s Chapare region of Cochabamba have created an energy drink 'Coca Colla' named after the Colla people: Andean tribes who cultivated the coca plant in the high mountain areas bordering Bolivia, Chile and Argentina...The Coca-Cola Company imports eight tons of coca leaves from South America each year."
Minyanville, "Skeletons in the Corporate Closet: Coke," By Justin Rohrlich, April 6, 2010 Read Article Dan Kovalik: “Imagine the White House with a radical free market political agenda with no room in it for trade unions,” he tells Minyanville. “Then, picture the Michigan Militia being pressed into service by the government, with assistance from the US military, to eliminate organized labor. It sounds absurd, but that’s what we’re dealing with in Colombia...”
"Dr. Lesley Gill, Ph.D., chair of the anthropology department at Vanderbilt University who studies Latin American labor relations, tells Minyanville that, 'The claim that bottlers are independent is nothing more than a smokescreen. To think of them as a separate legal entity is really just sort of a legal fiction, a legal sleight of hand to enable corporate headquarters in Atlanta to avoid being accountable for what goes on in the plants that bottle their products.'
"Others agree.
“You just can't...say: 'They're the bottlers, we just sell the syrup,' " Edward F. Ahnert, a former president of the ExxonMobil (XOM) Foundation who teaches corporate social responsibility at Southern Methodist University's business school, said in an interview."
UK: Don't Drink Innocent Drinks! Coke Now Owns 58 Percent of the Company
managementtoday.com, "Innocent until proven guilty over Coke deal?" April 12, 2010 Read Article "The Innocent boys are on the defensive after agreeing to sell a further 40% stake to Coca-Cola. Innocent has always made great play of its almost anti-corporate, eco-friendly, health-conscious credentials. So it’s no surprise that it’s taken a lot of stick after agreeing to let global behemoth and sugary drinks purveyor Coca-Cola increase its stake to 58%."
Treehugger, "Innocent Drinks Sells (Out?) Some More to Coca Cola," by Bonnie Alter, April 12, 2010 Read Article "While some were sceptical about the sale of an ethical healthy smoothie business to Coke, the owners said that they needed the capital to expand the business. To the horror of many, they have just sold 40% more, so that Coke now owns a majority 58% stake in the business."
domain-b, "Coca-Cola raises stake in UK's Innocent Drinks to 58 per cent news," April 10, 2010 Read Article "Coca-Cola, the world's largest soft drink maker has taken a majority stake in British smoothie maker Innocent Drinks, but has left operational control of the business with its founders."
The Purdue University Calumet Chronicle, "Capitalism pops," By Ryan Riverside, April 12, 2010 Read Article "As such, I cannot justly complain about the size of the new cans and bottles by themselves. It is the combination of the size and the price which is upsetting. The price of these half-sized drinks is the same, if not more than the price of a full-sized drink. Some ad campaigns have labeled them as "convenience size" or "diet size," but these marketing ploys only mask the truth: the drinks are being charged at double the price, per weight.
"The vast majority of companies downsizing would not need to, if only they reduced the wallet padding of their executives. Some of the world's executives make nine to ten figures a year. If they got their heads out of the clouds and lived on the same world we all do, many of society's problems would be eliminated. According to a study by the University of California at Santa Cruz, in America, the top percent of the wealthy own 43 percent of the assets. Conversely, the bottom 80 percent of people own, together, only seven percent of the wealth."
NACLA (North American Congress on Latin America), "Coca-Cola Sued for ‘Campaign of Violence’ in Guatemala," By Lisa Skeen, April 7, 2010 Read Article "While Coke’s commitment to human rights may be nothing more than a self-serving publicity ploy (the company’s corporate responsibility office is managed through its Public Policy and Corporate Reputation Council), it may have unwittingly backed itself into a legal corner. If a court does find Coca-Cola guilty, the case could bring the company to task for the anti-labor violence and further establish a legal precedent for international corporate responsibility. Palacios and Chávez are not the first to sue Coca-Cola, and they are unlikely to be the last."
rabble.ca, "Coca-Cola doc chronicles a bitter battle," By June Chua, April 8, 2010 Read Article " 'As soon as the union was formed, the trouble started,' intones the brother of murdered Columbian union leader Isidro Gil ominously at the start of The Coca-Cola Case, a documentary co-production by the NFB and Argus Films.
"The 86-minute film chronicles the relentless efforts of American lawyers trying to take the soft drink giant to court over the killings of 10 union leaders, who represented workers at Coke bottling plants in Colombia...
"...The Coca-Cola Case is a fascinating portrayal of corporate irresponsibility and greed."
The Modesto Bee,"Living with children," By John Rosemond, April 6, 2010 Read Article "a group calling itself the Nutrition Foundation published statements claiming that Feingold's approach lacked valid scientific support. The general public was unaware, however, that the Foundation's membership included Dow Chemical, Coca Cola, and other companies who made, used, and distributed the additives Feingold was targeting. In their zeal to discredit Feingold and his work, NF subsequently funded several research studies designed to 'prove' what it wanted the public to believe - that Feingold's approach was worthless...research continues to explore the efficacy of Feingold's approach, and there is growing reason to believe that Feingold was onto something of value."
ABC News, "Diabetes expert wants Coke out of communities," April 1, 2010 Read Article "A diabetes researcher says Coca-Cola should withdraw from the Northern Territory's community stores if it really wants to make a difference to Indigenous health."
Gather, "Top 10 Reasons to Give Up Soda," By Steve Edwards, April 1, 2010 Read Article "If you're looking for a scapegoat in the obesity epidemic, look no further than soda. It's the single greatest caloric source in the world, accounting for somewhere between 11 and 19 percent of all the calories consumed worldwide. It's cheap, addictive, and readily available, which generally means that it will take some willpower to avoid. But don't despair, as we at Beachbody® are here to help. We present: our top 10 reasons to give up soda. Drumroll please."
Express News Service, "VS: Govt considering report against Coke," March 31, 2010 Read Article "The report held that besides causing heavy depletion of ground water, the plant had inflicted harm to farming and environment in the area by dumping solid waste."
India Resource Center, "Coca-Cola Suspected of Sucking the Land Dry," By Amrit Dhillon, South China Morning Post, March 28, 2010 Read Article "Sharma's son, Jagdish, 36, remembers being able to peer into the family well and see water in it. 'Ever since Coca-Cola came, we have to keep going deeper and deeper to extract water. Even at 45 to 60 metres down, we don't get water. Before Coca-Cola came, the water table used to sink every year but only by a couple of feet. Now it's five to six metres,' he says"
Star Tribune, "Tidbits: A new low from Coke: Coke introduces almost 8-ounce eight-packs," By Al Sicherman, March 31, 2010 Read Article "In any case it is another high-price product. At the store where he saw them, the eight-packs were on special for $3.18, 'regular $4.08.' At that store, two-liter bottles of Coke products (almost always sold at a 'special' price, often as low as $1.25) were $1.69, 'regular $1.89,' and 12-packs of 12-ounce cans (144 ounces) were $4.59, 'regular $4.79.'
"At the 'special' prices he saw posted, Coke in the new eight-packs of small cans would cost 5.3 cents an ounce -- an unbelievable 112 percent more per ounce than 2-liter bottles and 66 percent more per ounce than 12-packs of 12-ounce cans. (At those prices, if you like the idea of the smaller serving, it would be slightly cheaper to buy the 12-ounce cans and pour 41/2 ounces of each down the sink.)"
Jam Showbiz Movies, "Coca-Cola Case' packs plenty of pop, By Liz Braun Read Article "[Terry] Collingsworth managed to move the showdown, legally speaking, to the United States, allowing Colombians to sue Coca-Cola in the U.S. for crimes committed elsewhere. The cases that were filed against Coca-Cola included such items as murder, abduction, kidnapping and torture. The Coca-Cola Case makes it clear that while these crusaders are making headway, it's still very difficult for Coke drinkers in first-world countries to grasp the level of violence and corruption involved in labour disputes elsewhere. Kids at the University of Chicago are shown parading stupid signs ('F--- Human Rights') when Ray Rogers comes to speak, because they don't want anything to stop their freedom to drink Coca-Cola. It's a different story after they've heard Rogers talk, maybe, but it's sadly obvious that the plight of Coca-Cola workers in faraway places is not uppermost in the minds of most North Americans."
City News, "Documentary Looks At Labour Rights Case Against Coca-Cola," By Brian McKechnie, March 25, 2010 Read Article "The Coca-Cola Case is an eye-opening documentary that looks at the labour dispute between unionists in Colombia and The Coca-Cola Company, which is accused of 'alleged kidnapping, torture and murder of union leaders trying to improve working conditions in Colombia, Guatemala and Turkey.' Using interviews with the lawyers involved in the case against Coke, workers in the bottling plants, and Ray Rogers, the man behind the Stop Killer-Coke! Campaign, the film exposes the lack of human rights large corporations such as Coca-Cola function on, and get away with, in these smaller countries."
Correo Canadiense, "“The Coca-Cola case”: toma lo malo El documental se exhibirá gratis este fin de semana en Toronto," Por Christopher Herrera, March 25, 2010 Read Article "La perversa relación entre necesidad y abuso es un tópico que ronda durante todo el documental 'The Coca Cola case'. La cinta de los directores Germán Gutiérrez y Carmen García cuenta la historia de los ocho sindicalistas colombianos asesinados por paramilitares, por presunto encargo de los directivos de la multinacional."
The New York Times, "India: Pollution Fine Sought Against Coca-Cola," By Hari Kumar, March 23, 2010 "A state government panel recommended Tuesday that Coca-Cola’s Indian subsidiary be fined $47 million for damage to the water and soil in a southern Indian village that it said had been caused by one of the company’s bottling plants. The plant, which opened in 2000 and closed five years later, polluted the groundwater and soil around the village of Plachimada, in the state of Kerala, the panel said. Coca-Cola said in a statement that it was unfortunate “that the committee in Kerala was appointed on the unproven assumption that damage was caused, and that it was caused by Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages.” According to the panel, the bottling plant discharged a sludge that contained toxic chemicals like cadmium and lead. After villagers complained that the water table had dropped and farms were less productive, the village council decided not to renew the plant’s license."
Reuters, "Coca-Cola India unit asked to pay $47 million damages" Read Article "The Indian unit of Coca-Cola Co has been asked to pay $47 million compensation for causing environmental damage at its bottling plant in the southern Indian state of Kerala, state officials said on Tuesday. A state government panel, in a report late on Monday, said Coca-Cola's subsidiary, Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages Pvt Ltd (HCBPL), was responsible for depleting groundwater and dumping toxic waste around its Palakkad plant between 1999 and 2004. Protests by farmers, complaining against pollution, forced HCBPL to close down the unit in 2005."
Press Release, "Coca-Cola Liable for US$ 48 Million for Damages – Government Committee," March 22, 2010 ReadRelease "In a major development, a High Power Committee established by the state government of Kerala in India has recommended today that Coca-Cola be held liable for Indian Rupees 216 crore (US$ 48 million) for damages caused as a result of the company’s bottling operations in Plachimada. The Coca-Cola bottling plant in Plachimada has remained shut down since March 2004 as a result of the community-led campaign in Plachimada challenging Coca-Cola’s abuse of water resources."
High Power Committee to Asses the Extent of Damages Caused by the Coca-Cola Plant at Plachimada, India, "Abstract: REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE HIGH POWER COMMITTEE ON THE EXTENT OF DAMAGES CAUSED BY THE COCA COLA PLANT AT PLACHIMADA, PALAKKAD DISTRICT," March 22, 2010 Read Report We received an email from S. Faizi, environmental expert on the committee that wrote this report: "The Report of the High Power Committee to Assess the Extent of Damages Caused by the Coca Cola Plant at Plachimada and Claiming Compensation was submitted to the govt of Kerala today. We have gathered impeccable evidence to show the depletion and pollution of groundwater caused by the company...The multidisciplinary, 14 member committee was set up by the Kerala govt. in April 2009. It was chaired by the Additional Chief Secretary Mr K Jayakumar and included heads of various depts. I was its environment expert member. Early in the course of the Committee’s work Coca-Cola had sent us a threatening letter which we had chosen to ignore."
Video, "The Story of Bottled Water," Think Outside the Bottle, Corporate Accountability International Watch Video
Pittsburgh City Paper, "Silent Film," By Kate Giammarise, March 18, 2010 Read Article "The question at the heart of the documentary is presented by Terry Collingsworth, the executive director of Washington, D.C.-based International Rights Advocates. 'How legally accountable is a major corporate brand like Coca-Cola for the activities in its far-flung plants in places like Colombia?' Collingsworth asks.
"The Colombian union Sinaltrainal decided to find out by filing a half-billion dollar lawsuit. The action was filed in 2001 in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, using the centuries-old Alien Tort Claims Act. That law allows foreigners to sue in American courts for violations of "the law of nations or a treaty of the United States."
ABC News, "Whose Red Dress? Docs Debate Diet Coke Logo: Controversial Dress Logo Has Some Doctors Seeing Red Over Industry Ties," By PEGGY PECK, March 16, 2010 Read Article "[Dr. Steven] Nissen, head of cardiovascular medicine at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation and a past president of the American College of Cardiology, debated the hot topic of industry influence with Dr. Robert Harrington, who is director of the Duke Cardiovascular Research Institute. In his presentation, he said the red dress on the Coke can was a clear sign that the American Heart Association had crossed an ethical line by endorsing a soft drink, even as observational studies have suggested that soft drinks -- including diet drinks -- are major drivers of obesity."
Crain's NEw York Business, "A beverage tax would cut the fat," By Richard F. Daines, M.D., March 14, 2010 Read Article (A subscription is needed to read this article.}
"Why a tax on nondiet soda and other sugar-sweetened beverages? Research directly links soda and other sugary drinks to increased rates of obesity and diabetes. Experts, including Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Thomas Frieden, say taxing sugary beverages is the single most effective way to reduce obesity.
"While obesity rates have tripled over the past 30 years, prices for sugary beverages have fallen relative to inflation, partly due to subsidies for corn producers, while advertising has promoted increased consumption and portion sizes. The beverage industry's price-elasticity models indicate the tax will reduce consumption of sugary beverages by about 15% as consumers shift toward lower-cost, lower-calorie beverages. The $1 billion a year raised by the tax will support critical health care services, preventing deeper cuts at a time when the state must close a $9 billion deficit. As obesity decreases over time, so will spending on related conditions like kidney dialysis and amputations. Worker productivity will rise."
Press Release, "Groundwater Levels Continue Downward Spiral Around Coca-Cola Plant: Continues Bottling in Drought Area, Farmers and Villagers Left Without Water," India Resource Center, March 11, 2010 Read Release "The Coca-Cola company has continued to operate its bottling plant in Kala Dera in Jaipur, India even as the area has been declared a drought area last summer and the groundwater levels are falling sharply – leaving the largely agrarian community with severely restricted access to water. Data obtained this week by the India Resource Center from the Central Groundwater Board, a government agency, confirm that groundwater levels in Kala Dera fell precipitously again – a drop of 4.29 meters (14 feet) in just one year between August 2008 and August 2009, from 30.83 meters below ground level to 35.12 meters respectively."
Groundwater Levels in Kala Dera - Before and After Coca-Cola Started
Operations in 2000
Source: Central Groundwater Board, Rajasthan Groundwater Department
Bob Perillo and the Lawsuit against Coca-Cola in Guatemala
Letter from Bob Perillo, former Latin America liaison for U.S. Labor Education in the Americas Project (USLEAP) regarding the lawsuit against Coca-Cola for human rights abuses in Guatemala. Mr. Perillo highlights the involvement of USLEAP, Ron Oswald, General Secretary of the IUF and Stan Gacek, presently with the AFL-CIO International Affairs Department, among others, in running interference for Coca-Cola in efforts to suppress this lawsuit. Read Letter in English "On Thursday, February 25, 2010, International Rights Advocates, a non-profit human rights organization, and the Conrad and Scherer law firm filed a new civil lawsuit against The Coca-Cola Company. The case involves a campaign of violence against two Guatemalan trade unionists and their families — including rape, murder, and attempted murder —at the behest of the management of INCASA, the owner of two Coca-Cola bottling plants and an instant-coffee plant (which also produces Coca-Cola syrup for fast-food restaurants) in Guatemala. The complaint against Coca-Cola can be viewed at http://www.killercoke.org/cokeguatcomplaint.doc. The two trade unionists are José Armando Palacios, who was forced to flee to the U.S. in early 2006, and José Alberto Vicente Chávez, whose son and nephew were murdered and whose daughter was gang raped on March 1, 2008."
En Español "El viernes 25 de febrero de 2010, International Rights Advocates (Abogados de Derechos Internacionales), una organización de derechos humanos sin fines de lucro, así como la firma jurídica Conrad and Scherer, entablaron otra demanda civil contra Coca Cola S.A. por un caso que implica una campaña de violencia –que incluye estupro, asesinato e intento de homicidio— contra dos sindicalistas guatemaltecos y sus familias. Dichos crímenes se cometieron a instancias de la administración de INCASA, propietaria de dos embotelladoras de Coca Cola y de una planta de café instantáneo (que también produce jarabe de Coca Cola para restaurantes de comida rápida) en Guatemala. Véase el texto de la demanda contra la Coca Cola en http://www.killercoke.org/cokeguatcomplaint.doc (en inglés). Los dos sindicalistas en cuestión son José Armando Palacios, quién fue obligado a huir a los EEUU a principios de 2006, y José Alberto Vicente Chávez, cuyos hijo y sobrino fueron asesinados y cuya hija fue violada en grupo el 1 de marzo de 2008."
The Huffington Post, "Eco Etiquette: How Bad For The Environment Is Diet Coke?," By Jennifer Grayson, M
arch 10, 2010 Read Article "...if you're drinking at least one a day, you might be surprised to know that there are some interesting environmental ramifications for your beloved beverage -- aside from the already well-publicized negative ones regarding your health, like increased risk of weight gain and a decline in kidney function."
CIEPAC (Chiapas, Mexico), "Stop Killer Coke: The Boycott Coca-COla Campaign," 2006 Read Pamphlet
Cyber Bougnat, "Auvergnat Cola, le Coca made in Auvergne: L’entreprise cantalienne Juhles va commercialiser dans les prochains jours une copie locale du fameux Coca-Cola," Par Bertrand, jeudi 22 janvier 2009 Read Article An email from Solange, a campaign supporter, in France:
"The film [The Coca-Cola Case] yesterday was a success! There were many students and also very different people; the theater was not too large, about 350 seats. It was full and some people couldn't have a seat; they have to come back. The film will be shown again today at 6 pm, tomorrow-- Thursday -- and also Friday at 12 o'clock. I will see it again, Friday with some colleges. At the end, people pointed out the problem of the social responsibility of international firms and environmental abuses...very interesting....Ray, Terry and Dan have been much acclaimed! One regret -- newspapers don't speak enough about it; I hope that will change soon; we will work for this!
"News: In Auvergne, they have created a drink called "Cola Auvergnat" made with a regional yellow plant, well known for its roots, called gentiane! Here is the link; Here is another link.
"It's a good thing to bring competition with the Coca-COla giant of Atlanta."
The site of Auvergnat Cola
The DePauw, "Killer Coke: My soft-drink journey," By Sam Holley-Kline, March 5, 2010 Read Article "I love Coca-Cola. As far as soft drinks go, it's certainly my favorite. Pepsi aficionados say it's too sweet, or too syrupy for their tastes. Nonsense, I say...It's a shame. I still like Coke's taste. I really do. But I know that if I continue to drink it, I'll be complicit in all sorts of things in which I'd really rather not be complicit. Because of the environmental abuses, Pepsi's not much of an alternative."
VEE2.net, "Coke Hit with New Charges of Murder, Rape, Torture at their processing and bottling plants in Guatemala," By Maryanne Euthalia, March 4, 2010 Read Article "A lawsuit (Case No. 10102514; Palacios et al. v. The Coca-Cola Co. and Does 1 through 10 inclusive) was filed on behalf of eight plaintiffs in the Supreme Court of the State of New York against The Coca-Cola Co. and Coke processing and bottling plants in Guatemala. This case involves charges of murder, rape and torture. The plaintiffs include union leaders and family members. This case has been brought in New York State because plaintiffs and other victims of human rights abuses lack access to an independent and functioning legal system within Guatemala, a country with a corrupt judiciary which has been undermined by the intimidation and murder of witnesses, prosecutors, lawyers and judges...'This case also presents evidence of Coca-Cola's direct involvement in trying to suppress the facts. Coca-Cola used the leverage of security for the family of Plaintiff Jose Palacios to try to get him to waive his employment rights and resign from his union. With this case, we finally have the evidence to get to a jury and let them decide if Coca-Cola is produced with the blood of union leaders and their family members. This case will expose the fraud of Coca-Cola's public relations campaign once and for all.' "
Czech Free Press, "Žaloba na Coca-Colu za podíl na porušování lidských práv v Guatemale," By Tereza Spencerova, March 4, 2010 Read Article "Guatemalští odboroví predáci a jejich rodiny podali u Nejvyššího soudu státu New York žalobu proti firme Coca-Cola Co., za to, že se podílela na násilí proti odborárum. Hlavní žalobce José Armando Palacios tvrdí, že byl opakovane tercem útoku poté, co se v roce 2004 stal clenem odboru v továrne Industria de Cafe, která v Guatemala City patrí práve Coca-Cole. Chuligáni najatí firmou Coke meli proniknout do jeho domu a s nabitými zbranemi vyhrožovat jeho rodine smrtí."
nataliagnecco.com, "Germán Gutiérrez y el “efecto” Coca- Cola," February 28, 2010 Read Article "Por segunda vez el público de Montreal tuvo la oportunidad de ver el controvertido documental de los realizadores Germán Gutiérrez, y Carmen García llamado “el asunto Coca- Cola”, durante el Encuentro de cine quebequense RDVCQ y no es de extrañarse que dichas denuncias contra el imperio de las bebidas gaseosas haya traspasado las fronteras, ocasionado malestares e incluso censuras. Cuando asistí al RDIM Encuentro de Documentales Internacionales en Montreal a finales del 2009 pude charlar unos instantes con Germán después de ver el documental y desde entonces me contaba que ya se escuchaban voces de protestas debido a las contundentes denuncias que ellos hacen, es de anotar que tanto Gutiérrez como García tienen una capacidad enorme para mantener una secuencia coherente sobre las denuncias en contra del imperio de Coca-Cola si tenemos en cuenta que es una historia que salió al aire después de tres años de trabajo y no tiene un punto final."
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, "Coca-Cola faces new violence claims in Guatemala," By Jeremiah McWilliams, March 2, 2010 Read Article "Guatemalan union leaders and their families are pursuing a lawsuit in a New York court against Coca-Cola Co., accusing the world's biggest beverage company of negligence and complicity in violence aimed at union activists, as well as deception. The case draws together a coalition of lawyers and activists who participated in previous legal battles against Coca-Cola centering on its labor practices in Colombia. The lead attorney is Terry Collingsworth, who has pushed lawsuits against Coca-Cola for a decade. The unofficial public relations wing is the Campaign to Stop Killer Coke, one of the company's most aggressive and vociferous foes."
From our Archives: Quiet Library, "Re: Coca-Cola Black History Timeline," February 5, 2007 Coca-Cola ran an ad during the Super Bowl three years ago highlighting civil rights gains over the years attempting to align themselves with that movement. Quiet Library created this parody of that ad emphasizing Coke's record of racial discrimination.
The Post Standard, "Syracuse lawmakers reject school contract with Coca-Cola over obesity concerns," By Meghan Rubado, March 2, 2010 Read Article "Citing childhood obesity concerns, the Syracuse Common Council this week rejected a school district proposal to contract with Coca-Cola Bottling Co. for exclusive pouring rights in city schools...'Our kids are 10 pounds heavier, on average, today than they were 10 years ago,' Republican Councilor Ryan McMahon said, explaining his opposition before the Monday vote."
Business Week (Bloomberg), "Coca-Cola Sued in U.S. by Guatemalans Over Anti-Union Violence," By Patricia Hurtado, February 27, 2010 Read Article "Coca-Cola Co. was sued by Guatemalan workers who say they endured a 'campaign of violence' by people working on behalf of bottling and processing plants Coke owns or owned there after they engaged in union activities. Jose Armando Palacios of Guatemala and eight other plaintiffs filed the complaint Feb. 25 in New York State Supreme Court in Manhattan, alleging negligence, deceptive practices and other claims against Coca-Cola, the world’s biggest soda maker."
Read article in Gulf News, Malasia
Free Speech Radio News,"Labor unions in Guatemala charge Coca-Cola with murder, torture," By Ari Paul, February 26, 2010 Listen to Segment A lawsuit that involves labor unions, a multinational corporation and murder is spanning borders. Today, lawyers for labor activists subjected to torture and killings at Coca-Cola bottling plants in Guatemala filed a lawsuit against the company in a New York City court. The attorneys are highlighting a spike in violence against trade unionists in the Central American country. FSRN’s Ari Paul reports. Campaign to Stop Killer Coke Director Ray Rogers is interviewed.
Metro Montreal, "L’affaire Coca-Cola: La boisson ensanglantée," By Matin Gignac, February 26, 2010 Read Article "Quand c’est OK, c’est Coke? Pas pour les cinéastes Germán Gutiérrez et Carmen Garcia. Après avoir appris que des centaines de dirigeants syndicaux avaient été assassinés ces dernières années, le duo a décidé d’enquêter, se déplaçant jusqu’en Colom?bie et notant l’implication de plusieurs compagnies internationales qui ferment les yeux sur ces crimes."
Le Devoir, "Syndicalisme en Colombie - Au-delà de L'Affaire Coca-Cola," By Isabelle Beaudry, February 24, 2010 Read Article "L'Affaire Coca-Cola, ce documentaire portant sur l'entreprise Coca-Cola, n'a pas fini de créer des remous. La campagne Killer Coke, au cœur du film qui sera en salle le 26 février, appelle au boycottage tout en pointant un doigt accusateur contre le géant soupçonné d'être impliqué dans l'enlèvement, la torture et l'assassinat de chefs syndicaux, notamment en Colombie. Le film ne résume malheureusement pas entièrement la situation de la répression syndicale dans ce pays."
Voir, "Coke avale de travers," By Aurore Lehmann, February 18, 2010 Read Article
Scripps News, "New kind of war on sodas," By Jose de la Isla, February 17, 2010 Read Article "Sugary drinks were the target because they contribute to more pounds gained because of their calorie content, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention...
"Behind the beverage is a scientific controversy concerning high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), as found in soda, which is more "unstable" (can cause tissue damage) than table sugar, according to the science Maldonado-Schullo reported."
Cyberpresse.ca, "Le film qui dérange le géant de la boisson gazeuse," Stéphanie Bérubé, February 20, 2010 Read Article "Le coeur de cette affaire se déroule en Colombie, pays qui a une triste histoire avec le syndicalisme. Assassinats, enlèvements, torture, intimidation. Rien de très reluisant. Le cinéaste québécois German Gutiérrez a voulu en savoir plus. Il s'est plongé dans le dossier et il a découvert que certains leaders syndicaux assassinés travaillaient à une usine qui embouteille du Coca-Cola."
Email from University of California-Long Beach:
As some of you might know, we screened the film "The Cost of a Coke" (a film by University of Montana grad, Matt Beard) on November 10, 2009. We assumed that 50-75 students would attend our event and only reserved 100 chairs. But, on the day of the event we had close to 150 students, some of which had to sit on the floor. We had a DJ (Eddie "DJ Kaboom" Iniestra) playing music as we welcomed our attendees, along with some refreshments. On the chairs we had placed a flyer (“Stand Up for Labor and Human Rights”) and a petition (“Dear Coca-Cola Board Members”), of which many signed and returned. We received very positive feedback and many asked to start a coalition on campus.
Since the event we have begun to gather different campus organizations to be part of this coalition. And it has begun to form some structure in recent weeks.
So building coalitions with various organizations will take a while. Things look very bright though, and we hope that sometime soon we can host the new documentary, “The Coca Cola Case,” on our campus.
The Charlatan (Carleton University), "Killing Coke on Campus," By Arik Ligeti, February 12, 2010 Read Article "Since the documentary’s [The Coca-Cola Case] screening, approximately 600 people had expressed interest in the campaign, Lloyd said. 'We haven’t formally put out the petition again, but assuming we do, it seems that there’s greater support from the student body,' Lloyd said."
Solidarity Notes Choir, "The Drink of the Death Squads,"
February 7, 2010 Watch Video Solidarity Notes Choir performance at a Vancouver SkyTrain station in Vancouver of a song by David Rovics, in front of Coke advertising, just before transit police arrive.
An email from Vancouver: "In Vancouver, ads by Olympic sponsor Coca-Cola are absolutely ubiquitous. They've bought every single billboard location in many Skytrain stations. In response, the Solidarity Notes choir took some encouraging musical action at a Skytrain station. For your musical enjoyment, here's the YouTube video:"
Thank you Solidarity Notes Choir and Vancouver.
Basil and Spice, "Coca-Cola Under Fire: Government Health Agency Urged to Drop Coca-Cola as Heart-Health Partner," The Center for Science in the Public Interest, February 16, 2010 Read Article "The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute should not partner with Coca-Cola to raise awareness of heart disease among women, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest. In a letter to the NHLBI, the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest says overweight and obesity are prime risk factors for heart disease, and the agency shouldn’t be bolstering the dismal reputation of the Coca-Cola Company, the world’s biggest manufacturer of obesigenic soft drinks."
Daily Mail, "Child 'mini-marketeers' paid by junk food firms to secretly push products among their friends," By Sean Poulter, February 14, 2010 Read Article "Youngsters are being paid up to £25 a week to promote sugary soft drinks and other products via social networking sites and playground chat. Products like Fanta and Cheesestrings are at the centre of big business stealth marketing campaigns...This involves performing a range of tasks including, putting up flyers, posting on message boards and social networks such as Facebook and Bebo, and hosting parties for friends."
Response: If we don't stop our children being exploited, no one else will," By Richard O'Hagan
The New York Times, "Soda: A Sin We Sip Instead of Smoke?" By Mark Bittman, February 14, 2010 Read Article "The problem is that at roughly 50 gallons per person per year, our consumption of soda, not to mention other sugar-sweetened beverages, is far from moderate, and appears to be an important factor in the rise in childhood obesity. This increase is at least partly responsible for a rise in what can no longer be called “adult onset” diabetes — because more and more children are now developing it."
See chart "Drinking Sugar"
The Boston Globe, "Falsely sweet pledges from trash food companies," By Derrick Z. Jackson, February 13, 2010 Read Article "A key source of the obesity problem now claims to be part of the solution, in the spirit of beer companies and cigarette companies claiming marquee roles in solving underage drinking and smoking...The American Beverage Association and Coke entities spent $31 million in lobbying last year, much of it to shoot down taxes on sugary beverages at federal and state levels. The association had a $2 million ad campaign against taxes, which public health experts calculate would cut consumption and contribute revenues to public health programs to repair the damage done to the nation’s health by soda."
TheSheaf.com, (University of Saskatchewan) "Killer Coke is no joke: Deadly trouble in the Coke bottling plants of Colombia, By Greg Reese, February 9, 2010 Read Article "I like Coke. It tastes good and it wakes me up when I’m tired. So, I would like to think that the accusations leveled against the soft drink company in The Coca-Cola Case, a documentary funded in part by the National Film Board of Canada, are not true — but I have a bad feeling..."
"Even before the first screening at Concordia University in Montreal, Cinema Politica was threatened with legal action from lawyers representing the soda-pop giant. So what exactly is Coca-Cola trying to stop people from viewing?"
Australian Food News, "New film exposes violence and death at Coca Cola plant," By Josette Dunn, February 8, 2010 Read Article " Consumers in developed countries are increasingly choosing ethical products such as Fairtrade, Organic, and environmentally responsible food. The message is clear: treat employees, communities, the environment and animals properly, or lose customers."
The article is incorrect when titling the film. It is, of course, "The Coca-Cola Case." The first line of the story should read: "Explosive new film, titled "The Coca-Cola Case" debuted in the U.S. on Friday."
Los Angeles Times, "Beverage industry douses tax on soft drinks," By Tom Hamburger and Kim Geiger, February 7, 2010 Read Article "Employing a broad-based lobbying effort, the soft drink industry has smothered a plan to tax sugared beverages -- a plan advocates said would have reduced obesity and helped finance healthcare reform...
"Analysts at Yale University have calculated that a penny-an-ounce tax would induce a 23% drop in consumption, and the Congressional Budget Office has estimated that a smaller tax could raise $50 billion over 10 years. Although the extent to which such a tax might drive down obesity rates is scientifically unclear, nutrition experts argue that it would, at the least, improve health by discouraging consumption of sodas, which have no nutritional value but are packed with calories."
MinnPost.com, "How Coca-Cola fought for our right to be obese," By Eric Black, February 9, 2010 Read Analysis of Article Above "The short version of the tale is that Coca-Cola and others who make a lot of money selling soft drinks (this includes big fast-food chains -- McDonald’s and Domino’s were named in the piece) were able to recruit a lot of organizations that represent poor people to join them in opposing the idea of putting a tax on sugared beverages. The idea behind the tax is it would discourage consumption of sugared beverages, which contributes to the American plague of obesity, which is a major source of our unhealthiness."
Press Release from Europa, the portal site of the European Union, "Competition: Commission makes commitments from Coca-Cola legally binding, increasing consumer choice" Read Press Release "The European Commission has adopted a decision under EC Treaty competition rules that renders commitments from Coca-Cola concerning carbonated soft drinks legally binding. These commitments, which will remain in force until 31 December 2010, will increase consumer choice in shops and pubs by, for example, preventing Coca-Cola from entering into exclusive agreements with shops and pubs, offering them target or growth rebates or forcing them to take less popular products with its stronger brands...No more exclusivity arrangements…No target or growth rebates…No use of Coca-Cola’s strongest brands to sell less popular products…20% of free space in Coca-Cola’s coolers."
McMaster University Referendum Defeats an Exclusive Contract for Coca-COla
We just received news from McMaster Campus Choice that the referendum for an exclusive Coke contract was defeated:
The vote: NO: 1966
Yes: 1584
Abstain: 711
Spoiled: 19
Total Valid Ballots: 3550
Total Ballots Cast: 4280
Congratulations to McMaster Campus Choice and the students of McMaster for a great job!
GreenMuze, "The Coca-Cola Case Review," By Greenmuze Staff, February 7, 2010 Read Article "The Coca-Cola Case is an in-depth look at the secret world of a powerful multi-national corporation and a harsh reminder of the importance of knowing more about the products you consume or support. You will never look at Coca-Cola the same after you see just what lengths the world’s most popular beverage company will go to in avoiding to take any responsibility for worker’s rights in their factories and bottling plants."
WebMD, "Pancreatic Cancer Linked to Sodas? Study Says 2 Sodas Per Week Raises Pancreatic Cancer Risk; Beverage Industry Says Study Is Flawed," By Kathleen Doheny, February 8, 2010 Read Article " 'People who drank two or more soft drinks a week had an 87% increased risk -- or nearly twice the risk -- of pancreatic cancer compared to individuals consuming no soft drinks,' says study lead author Noel T. Mueller, MPH, a research associate at the Cancer Control Program at Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, D.C. The study is published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers& Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research."
Campaign to Stop Killer Coke Newsletter, "International Headaches for Coke," February 4, 2010 Read Newsletter
Photo from "The Coca-Cola Case"
London Free Press, "Cinema Politica London puts Coca-Cola in hot seat: DOCUMENTARY--The film The Coca-Cola Case, exposes alleged human rights and labour abuses at bottling plants in South America," By KATHY RUMLESKI, February 5, 2010 Read Article "A new chapter of a political documentary-screening network is showing its first film Friday night. The film, The Coca-Cola Case, has already rankled the beverage giant. Cinema Politica London is offering the film free of charge to the public."
Vue Weekly, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada, "THE COCA-COLA CASE: A BITTER AFTERTASTE: THE COCA-COLA CASE SHOWS HOW HARD IT IS TO TAKE ON A HUGE CORPORATION," By David Berry, February 4, 2010 Read Article
"There are, of course, the usual hurdles: Coke does nothing but smokescreen the issue, obfuscating facts with platitudes and carefully crafted empty gestures. But that's barely half of it. The union intimidation has been effective enough that the two Coke employees tell us most of the unionists are older, with the youth remaining outside: if you can't outright kill them, just engage in a war of attrition until all the old guys leave, I guess. The public hearings on Coke's behaviour are derailed by the revelation that one of the lawyers, gasp, once had his picture taken in front of a poster of Che Guevara, evidently enough of an offence to completely torpedo his moral standing against a corporation accused of murder. Worst of all, Coke has its fair share not just of the blissfully ignorant, but active supporters who oppose the work of Killer Coke and the like as so much socialist paranoia. (It's awfully clever of the directors to show these anti-protests at the University of Chicago: Colombia was a kind of proving ground for the theories of the neoliberal Chicago school of economics—Milton Friedman actually advised Pinochet on several matters—which have been pretty good for business and pretty bad for democratic rights in Colombia for more than 30 years now.)"
The Huffington Post, "Is Coke's Fizz Going Flat?" By Michael F. Jacobson, February 3, 2010 Read Article "Like a tobacco company, Coca-Cola primarily sells one product--in its case, sugar water--that is linked to a number of diseases. It's under fire all over the world for its environmental, human rights, and health record. Here at home, it finds itself as the potential target of new taxation, expelled from America's schools, and outflanked by its nimbler competitor, PepsiCo. Angry parents, activist scientists, and wary shareholders are watching the company's every step."
From Concordia:
"Last night we screened The Coca Cola Case as part of a huge international tour of the film throughout the CP Network. The screening at Concordia University was the launch event and we had Ray Rogers of the Stop Killer Coke Campaign and filmmakers Carmen Garcia (both pictured below speaking to the full house last night) and German Gutierrez in attendance.
"For the first time in our history we turned away over 200 people!! The venue holds about 700, so this means we had over 900 people show up to see this great documentary. We have only ever turned people away a few times in the past, including screenings of The Corporation, Dawrin's Nightmare and Roadsworth.
"So the media attention around Coke's lawyers sending us an intimidating letter has helped get the word out, and we hope that the momentum builds right across the country and even abroad. This week Svetla is doing an interview with a Swedish newspaper (the film screens at our CP Stockholm local) and today or tomorrow the CBC in Yellowknife would like a radio interview with me.
"So yes, an exciting beginning to what is promising to be a great tour of an excellent film!"
Packed auditorium at Concordia University.
Campaign to Stop Killer Coke Director Ray Rogers speaking at Concordia University
Report from Carleton University: "When Carleton Cinema Politica first heard about Concordia's overwhelmingly successful premiere of the Coca Cola Case we immediately had two thoughts. First, there was euphoria and excitement. The amount of media buzz and the fact that almost 1,000 people showed up was astonishing. This feeling was quickly followed by 'wow, we've got big shoes to fill!' Although we weren't able to get any Ottawa media to touch the story - partly due to the national coverage that had already taken place - we received an extraordinary amount of interest in the film in the week leading up to the premiere. Cautiously optimistic, we expected to have about 150 people in an auditorium that seats about 240. By the time we were ready to start the auditorium was absolutely packed, not only shattering our expectations but setting a new record for Carleton Cinema Politica. We had people standing and sitting in the aisles and some decided upon arrival to forego navigating the congestion. We were also very proud to have Maude Barlow, National Chairperson of the Council of Canadians, and Peter Julian, MP for Burnaby - New Westminster, in attendance."
Campaign to Stop Killer Coke January 15, 2010 Newsletter: "New Film 'The Coca-Cola Case' Opens With Attempts by Coke Lawyers to Censor" Read Newsletter
CSPI Press Release, "Coke to Fleece America by Charging More for Less, Says CSPI $8.50 a Gallon for Small Cans of Water & High Fructose Corn Syrup? By Center for Science in the Public Interest, January 30, 2010 Read Article "...On an ounce-for-ounce basis, the new cans cost 50 to 140 percent more than 12-ounce cans. In Washington, D.C., 12-packs of 12-ounce cans have been available for between $4 and $5.99 at Giant and Safeway stores. Both stores charge $3.99 for 8-packs of the new 7.5-ounce cans. So while the bigger cans have been selling for between $0.89 and $1.33 per quart, the new cans sell for $2.13 a quart, or about $8.50 a gallon."
ABC News/Health, "American Academy of Family Physician Ads Feature Unhealthy Products: A Member Doc Lambasts Organization for Linking to Salty, Fatty Foods," Opinion by John G. Spangler, M.D., January 27, 2010 Read Article "Have a Coke and... some salt? How about with some fat? Brought to you by family medicine. The American Academy of Family Physicians has again launched itself into murky ethical waters, this time ads for products that are high in salt and in fat. The association, to which I belong, was widely criticized two months ago for accepting money in "the strong six figures" to partner with Coca Cola."
CKDU, Operation Wake Up! "The Bottle Breakers Come: Halifax anticipates arrival of Coca-Cola critical film," By Tiffany Limgenco, January 26, 2010 Read Article "[Halifax-based coordinator of Cinema Politica Abad] Khan points to the successful ban of Coca-Cola products on other campuses as a real threat to Coca-Cola. 'As you know, many universities, including Saint Mary’s University and University of King’s College in Halifax, sign exclusivity contracts to market and sell soft drink products on campus. [T]his film could be used as a catalyst to spur debate, to challenge Coke’s Olympic branding image, ultimately leading the schools to divest from Coke if these tactics don’t change. Coke has stated that bottling plants act independently but the influence of the company is undeniable; they not only own shares in those plants but the bottlers are beholden to Atlanta. They could stop this if they wanted to.' ”
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, "Film aimed at Coca-Cola draws icy response
," By Jeremiah McWilliams, January 27, 2010 Read Article "Forget 'happy,' the ubiquitous marketing theme from Coca-Cola Co. When it comes to a new documentary accusing the company of human rights abuses in Colombia, consider the company 'steamed.' Colombia is a nagging public relations problem that refuses to go away, despite Coca-Cola’s wins in court.”
The Daily Evergreen [Washington State University], "Students fight Coke with Pepsi: In an effort to stop WSU from renewing a contract with Coke, students protested on Wednesday," By Kerry Gugliotto, January 21, 2010 Read Article "The Progressive Student Union rallied Wednesday on Glenn Terrell Mall to protest Coca-Cola on campus...Members were on the mall from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. handing out fliers and giving out free Jones Soda, Pepsi and root beer... 'A world-class university like WSU should not endorse companies like Coke' "
tvxs.gr, Article on 'The Coca-COla Case," January 26, 2010 [This article is in Greek] Read Article
Cinema Politica, "the coca-cola case is front page news in stockholm" "STOCKHOLM - The Coca-Cola Case Is front-page news in two of Stockholm's most read leftist weeklys, Flamman and Fria Tidningen. The articles were balanced and well investigated. Representatives from Coca-Cola were contacted, but used their usual spins. We are certain that this film will be a hit here and that there will be a representative from Coca-Cola present at the film (fingers crossed). We have also made a partnership with the Columbianätverket (The Columbia Network) here in Stockholm who have advertised the screening on their Web site and will be present for discussions. We are launching a press release in Swedish on Monday to try and pump this up even more. Vi hörs!"
Friatidningen, "Coca-Cola vill stoppa kritisk film," By Lovisa Farrow, January 20, 2010 Read Article
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Il Giornale.it [Italy], "Film contro la Coca Cola: sfrutta manodopera L'azienda: non è vero" January 21, 2010 Read Article in Italian
A Blogger's View of "The Coca-Cola Case," By Laurence Miall, January, 19, 2010 Read Blog "At the film’s conclusion, you wish that Coke were not such a corporate behemoth that it can so often dodge the activist lawyers and filmmakers who try to hold it to account. It is remarkable the number of times in the film where Coca-Cola’s representatives are public no-shows; they always insist on doing everything behind closed doors. When Ray Rogers, anti-Coke activist, presented his case at the University of Chicago, filmmakers captured the whole thing. Many of those in attendance were anti-Ray Rogers and pro-Coke. Nevertheless, when Coke personnel showed up for their part of the debate in the same lecture hall immediately afterward, they demanded that the cameras leave."
Times [South Africa], "Strikers call for Coca-Cola advert ban at World Cup," By Kea' Modimoeng, January 24, 2010 Read Article "In a bid to intensify the impact of the strike, Fawu and labour federation Cosatu called on South Africans to boycott SAB and ABI products. Earlier this week, the union wrote a letter to football body Fifa's organising committee chief executive Danny Jordaan asking him to cancel Coca-Cola marketing at the upcoming World Cup.
"Fawu general secretary Katishi Masemola said his union was committed to engaging in a campaign to "smash" the brand and expose abusive practices of labour brokers and the exploitation of crew members in ABI delivery trucks bearing the Coca-Cola logo."
Food Biz Daily, "FBD: South Africa Unions called for boycott of Coca-Cola Company products," January 20, 2010 Read Press Release "The Food and Allied Workers' Union (Fawu) is planning a to launch a campaign against Coca-Cola products after unsuccessful wage talks with Amalgamated Beverages Industries, one of the largest producers and distributors of Coca-Cola products in the southern hemisphere. South Africa Unions called for boycott of Coca-Cola Company products due to current disagreements about the amount of the annual salary increases."
CBC News, "Coke discourages screenings of labour documentary," The Canadian Press, January 18, 2010 Read Article "It seems that a documentary critical of soft-drink giant Coca-Cola has left a bitter taste with the company."
The Media Co-op: a project of the Dominion News Cooperative, "Sickly Sweet Censorship: Despite legal threats, screenings of film ciritical of Coca-Cola to continue," by Tim Mcsorley, January 15, 2010 Read Article “During the shoot they approached one of the main characters to ask us to cut two scenes from the film. We decided not to [because] the information is all publicly available,” he explains. “Then we reached an agreement that we could screen the film on two conditions. One is that Coke's lawyers can attend all screenings. [Two], that we inform Coke of all screenings all over the planet. So now, with this letter to Cinema Politics, we are surprised...”
“[Coke is] trying to use this momentum to try and censor the documentary, because they see Cinema Politica for what we are: a student run, grassroots organisation,” says Ezra Winton, programing director for the group. “Lawyers think it would be easier to censor the film in the hands of a grassroots organisation, that we would be censored easily. They also see that the film didn't quietly run the festival circuit and then disappear, it's still screening in over two dozen Cinema Politica locals in Canada and overseas.”
Read this article in The Dominion
Art-Threat, "Coca-Cola intimidates student group over film screening," by Michael Lithgow, January 15, 2010 Read Article "What may have the soft drink giant so jittery is that the film is set to screen at 17 campuses in an upcoming cross-Canada tour co-sponsored by one of the film’s producers, the respected National Film Board of Canada. It is also slated to screen at 24 of Cinema Politica’s locals from Halifax to Stockholm, many of which are located at universities. Coca-Cola is well known for the deals made with universities for the exclusive sale of Coke products."
The Concordian, "A bottle of pop has profit margins to kill for Coca-Cola exploitation examined at Cinema Politica movie screening," By Michael Connors, January 12, 2010 Read Article " 'The Coca-Cola Case' documents an organized effort to hold Coca-Cola accountable for the murder of numerous union workers in Columbia’s Coca-Cola factories. The film exposes the distance that Coke executives try to create from actions taken on behalf of the company. The film depicts executives passing the blame onto contractors making their own choices, and claiming zero accountability."
They make $1 an hour and work 15 hour/day shifts.
They rent the trucks, buy the gas and their uniforms,
and pay out-of-pocket if bottles are broken or stolen.
They fear for their lives, especially if they ask for
better working conditions.
community.hour.ca, "The Cinema politica vs. Coca-Cola classic," January 13, 2010 Read Article "Controversy is bubbling up over the screening and distribution of a new documentary about the Coca-Cola company set to premiere in Montreal at Cinema Politica next week."
The Gazette, "Cinema Politica and a case of Coke," By peggy curran, January 12, 2010 Read Article "Cinema Politica says it's not about to bow to pressure from Coca Cola to can a national tour of a controversial documentary that shows the soft drink giant in an unsavory light. At least not without a decent fight, which began with a frenzied and animated Facebook campaign."
Cinema Politica's web site "Talk to Martin Gil: His brother Isidro was killed at point-blank range while working at the Coca-Cola bottling plant in Carepa, because he was part of a union bargaining unit. Like most violent crimes committed against Colombian union leaders, Gil’s murder went unpunished. However, U.S. lawyers Daniel Kovalik and Terry Collingsworth, as well as activist Ray Rogers, stepped in and launched an ambitious crusade against the behemoth Coca-Cola."
Hour.ca [Canada], "The Coca-Cola Case: Sickly sweet," By Meg Hewings, January 14, 2010 Read Article
"The suit and film have generated bad buzz around the Coke brand, and the company has sent letters to try to block Cinema Politica and the NFB from showing the film, citing confidentiality issues..."
"While the doc narrows in on the intricacies of the three-year saga fought by U.S. lawyers Daniel Kovalik and Terry Collingsworth, and highlights the activist antics of Ray Rogers (who spearheaded the Killer Coke campaign), the most compelling and telling scenes take place when two Colombian teens who deliver Coke tell their story. They make $1 an hour and work 15 hour/day shifts. They rent the trucks, buy the gas and their uniforms, and pay out-of-pocket if bottles are broken or stolen. They fear for their lives, especially if they ask for better working conditions."
The Link, "Coca-Cola lawyers threaten Cinema Politica: Claims upcoming film screenings violate confidentiality agreements," by Madeline Coleman, January 12, 2010 Read Article "Concordia-based film collective Cinema Politica received a threatening letter on Jan. 11 from the lawyers for Coca-Cola stating that the network’s planned film tour for documentary The Coca-Cola Case violates a confidentiality agreement. The film follows two American lawyers and union leaders as they attempt to bring a case against the soda pop giant for its alleged complicity in the murders of union leaders at Colombian bottling plants."
The Link, "Corruption Classic: The murder of union leaders at Coca-Cola plants should leave a bad taste in your mouth, say filmmakers," By Madeline Coleman, January 12, 2010 Read Interview with German Gutierrez "There just might be blood in that bottle of Coke. In their documentary The Coca-Cola Case, filmmakers Carmen Garcia and Germán Gutiérrez show that a corrupt government coupled with dependence on cheap labour and marauding paramilitaries make Colombia a perilous place to be a union leader. Coca-Cola plants are no exception. The film accuses the Coca-Cola Co. of complicity in the brutal and near-routine assassinations of eight union leaders by right-wing paramilitaries at Colombian Coca-Cola bottling plants over the last 16 years."
National Film Board of Canada, "The Coca-Cola Case (A synopsis), By German Gutierrez and Carmen Garcia
"In this feature length documentary, directors German Gutiérrez and Carmen Garcia present a searing indictment of the Coca-Cola empire and its alleged kidnapping, torture and murder of union leaders trying to improve working conditions in Colombia, Guatemala and Turkey.
"The filmmakers follow labour rights lawyers Daniel Kovalik and Terry Collingsworth and an activist for the 'Stop Killer-Coke!' campaign (www.killercoke.org), Ray Rogers, as they attempt to hold the giant U.S. multinational beverage company accountable in this legal and human rights battle."
Monthly Review, "Got Gas? Mark Thomas Belches Out the Coca-Cola Company," By B. Wardlaw, December 2009 Read Article "The World of Coke, our author observes, tells many stories about Coke’s history, but does not include: (1) the terrible irony that the cocaine in Coke’s early formula (which, along with extraordinarily heavy doses of caffeine, contributed to its early addictiveness, or “popularity”) came from Colombia — a country where, a century later, drug dealers conspire with union-busting politicians to keep Coca-Cola’s profits high; or (2) Coke’s willingness to give Hitler’s Third Reich a platform through its sponsorship of Berlin’s 1936 Olympic Games; or (3) the fact that, in Dr. Martin Luther King’s last speech — the one he made in Memphis just before he was murdered — he called for boycotting three corporations, outstanding for racist policies in hirings, firings, and promotions — one of which was Coca-Cola."
news.com.au, "Plans for coca-leaf drink 'Coca Colla' " January 10, 2010 Read Article "PRESIDENT Evo Morales, Bolivia's first indigenous leader known for chewing coca leaves at UN meetings, is making a fresh push for the plant, this time in the form of the soft drink 'Coca Colla.' Intended to rival its more famous US cousin, Coca Cola, the fizzy drink is at the centre of a plan coca growers from the Morales stronghold of Chapare in central Bolivia submitted to the government last week to boost coca production."
Eyewitness News (South Africa), "FAWU vows massive strike," By Matshidiso Madia, January 8, 2010 Read Article "The Food and Allied Workers’ Union’s members will not back down until drinks giant ABI agrees to their wage demands...FAWU said the strike was gaining international support with ABI employees from Atlanta and London pledging their solidarity."
