Killer Coke
A Never-ending Story of Exploitation, Greed, Lies, Cover-ups and Complicity in Kidnapping, Torture, Murder and other Gross Human Rights Abuses

Killer Coke Update | November 29, 2007


Two Important Documentaries About Coke's Abuses

Dear Supporters of the Campaign to Stop Killer Coke:

Over the past two weeks, two videos were released about the labor, human rights and environmental abuses of The Coca-Cola Co. Our campaign was pleased to cooperate with the filmmakers and some of our graphics can be seen in each.

The first film, a 46 minute documentary, "Dispatches: Mark Thomas on Coca-Cola," was produced in England by Mark Thomas, a well-known social critic and investigative journalist (Mr. Thomas is the narrator and appears throughout the film), and film producer-director Sarah MacDonald. Ms. MacDonald is the recipient of British Academy of Film & Television Awards (BAFTA). Her investigative documentaries include "Burma's Secret War," "Torture: The Dirty Business" and "Undercover in the Secret State."

The film was broadcast nationally on Channel 4 in England on November 19, 2007 from 8 to 9 pm. The viewing audience was about 1.6 million. We at the Campaign are excited by this production. The film highlights Coke's human rights and environmental abuses in Colombia and India, as well as Coke's ugly history of racial discrimination and collaboration with the Nazis during World War II. The footage taken in El Salvador shows child laborers cutting sugar cane in the fields and shows trucks taking the cane from the fields to Coke's sugar supplier. There are interviews with Salvadoran political leaders very critical of Coke regarding child labor and environmental abuses. And there's more...

"Dispatches: Mark Thomas on Coca-Cola" can be seen in five parts in our "Breaking News" on our website at www.KillerCoke.org or use the links below:

Dispatches: Mark Thomas on Coca-Cola

Secondy, Matt Beard, a student at the University of Montana, created a wonderful 20-minute film entitled, "The Cost of a Coke." We, at the Campaign, were delighted with many segments of the film, especially Matt's use of graphics and video to highlight Coke's abuses, how Judge Joe Martinez was shown to be in conflicts of interest as he deals with the Coca-Cola Alien Tort Claims lawsuits in Miami and how the ILO (International Labor Organization) "investigation" turned out to be a scam.

The film can be viewed in three parts at www.myspace.com/freedomforamerica or in our "Breaking News" at www.KillerCoke.org. The links to "The Cost of a Coke" are:

The Cost of a Coke

These current documentaries can be powerful organizing tools to win support for efforts to stop Killer Coke.

2. Major reports from the campaign that are useful in organizing

Critical Talking Points from the Campaign to Stop Killer Coke
Read the Critical Talking Points on Killer Coke

LABOR AND HUMAN RIGHTS: 'The Real Thing' in Colombia, By Lesley Gill
Read Report

Colombia Solidarity Campaign, "The Anti-Coke Manifesto," By Andy Higginbottom, Secretary, Colombia Solidarity Campaign
Read Manifesto
Read Manifesto in Italian

"Inside the Real Thing: Corporate profile on Coca-Cola Corporation," Report by the Polaris Institute (Canada)
Read the report in pdf format

NYC fact-finding delegation's report on human rights violations by Coke - Final Report, NYC Council Member Hiram Monserrate, April 2004
View Full Report in pdf - html
View Appendices

War on Want, Press Release and Report, "Coca-Cola under fire as World Cup comes to London, Released March 20, 2006
Read Release
Read Report, "Coca-Cola: The Alternative Report"
En Espanol

Seven Points to Settlement
Read the Seven Points.

"ILRF Director Terry Collingsworth Response to Coke's Denials," July 8, 2004
Read Response

"University of Michigan Falls Prey to Another Coca-Cola PR Scam," Campaign to Stop Killer Coke
April 17, 2006 Press Release/Report

WB11, New York Feature on the Campaign to Stop Killer Coke
On July 11, 2005, WB11, one of New York City area's major television stations aired a special "Fact Finders Report" on the Campaign to Stop Killer Coke called "Coca-Cola Faces Human Rights Violations." Interviewed are Campaign Director Ray Rogers, Hofstra University Campaign Activist Vanessa Cudabac, New York City Council Member Hiram Monserrate, New York City Comptroller William Thompson and American Postal Workers Union (APWU) Secretary-Treasurer Terry Stapleton. This excellent feature was watched by millions on WB11 and, as we found out from supporters, watched by others around the world on satellite television.
Play Tape of Show

The Campaign's Response to Coke's Statements on the WB11 Feature
Read Response

Video, "State of the Union," produced by Insight News for Channel 4 of Great Britain.
Watch State of the Union

3. Do you need a customized Campaign leaflet?
When we invited supporters to contact us to "customize a leaflet for your campus, union or group," the response was terrific! We immediately began getting emails asking us to produce customized leaflets for numerous colleges, universities, high schools and middle schools. We put them up as soon as we could. We have leaflets for Australia, Canada, Colombia (in Spanish), India, Ireland, Japan, the UK and the US.

Because the demand for flyers was so strong, it took up too much server space. We decided to leave the list online with the schools listed for which we have customized flyers. If you need a copy of your flyer, please contact us and we'll email it to you as soon as possible.

Look to see if your customized flyer is listed.

If your school, union or group is not listed and you would like a customized leaflet, please contact us at info@KillerCoke.org. Please state the name of your school and the name of the sponsoring group, if any, and a local email address, if you want us to put them into the flyer. If you want the flyer for a group, please state the name of the group and an email address. Also, whenever you email the Campaign to Stop Killer Coke, please include a phone number, if possible, in case we have a need to talk with you.

4. Campaign's 'Campus Activism' Section
Many students interested in launching a Campaign to Stop Killer Coke at their schools and colleges have been contacting us. We recommend that students begin by checking out the two organizing packets in our "Campus Activism" section:

In addition, there are numerous reports, resolutions and articles in the "Campus Activism" section that can be useful.

6. Take Actions Against Coke!

6. Please send photos, reports of events, etc. for the Campaign website

Please send photos, reports of events, and if you are in a school, union or organization that has banned Coke products, please send us the resolution or a description of how the decision was made. We would like the Campaign website to be up-to-date and to share the information via our newsletter. (Whenever you email us, please include your phone number and the best times to contact you, including weekends.)