Saturday, January 25, 2014

Coke, Proud Sponsor Of Hate And Oppression

Recently, during the Olympic torch relay, a young gay Russian activist (Pavel Lebedev) unfurled a rainbow flag in protest to Russia's anti-gay propaganda law.
It was at this point, the young man was confronted by security guards (wearing the Coke logo no less) who tried repeatedly to rip the flag away from him, he resisted and was finally detained, arrested and fined for this demonstration at Sochi.
Having pointed all this out, Coke has responded to this incident by supporting Pavels detention, arrest and fining, stating that the reason was because he crossed into the relay route, not because of his protest...so Coke, my question to you, if this is the case, then why were they continually trying to rest the gay flag from him and why was he fined for gay propaganda, not, as you attest, for crossing into the relay route?

Here's Cokes official statement on the incident:

Thank you for contacting The Coca-Cola Company. We appreciate the opportunity to respond.
As one of the world’s most inclusive brands, we value and celebrate diversity. We have long been a strong supporter of the LGBT community and have advocated for inclusion and diversity through both our policies and practices. We do not condone human rights abuses, intolerance or discrimination of any kind anywhere in the world.
As a sponsor since 1928, we believe the Olympic Games are a force for good that unite people through a common interest in sports, and we have seen firsthand the positive impact and long-lasting legacy they leave on every community that has been a host.
We support the ideals of the Olympics and are proud to continue our role in helping to make the Olympics a memorable experience for athletes, fans and communities all around the world.
As a Presenting Partner of the Sochi 2014 Olympic Torch Relay, our logo appears on all of the uniforms for the staff assigned by the Sochi Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games (SOCOG) to support the Torch Relay.
SOCOG reported that a spectator was prevented from breaching the security perimeter around the Torchbearer. The spectator was detained briefly by local police and was fined.
We hope this information is helpful and encourage you to contact us again should you have additional comments or questions.
Jeffrey C
Industry and Consumer Affairs
The Coca-Cola Company

Now here's a video of Pavels arrest:


Seems to me Coke, not only do you support intolerance and hate, your an enthusiastic participant in oppression and denigration.
May you reap the reward you so richly deserve from your continued support of the Sochi hate games.
Think I'll go drink a Pepsi now...

1 comment:

Unknown said...

All the sponsors of the sochi olympics have blood on their hands that will never wash off.