Great Barrington — Local leaders are calling out area activist groups for a protest at the Fuel Coffee shop on Main Street on Saturday, June 1.
On Friday, May 31, the activist group “Anti Imperialist Solidarity” posted on their Instagram page a graphic indicating Great Barrington Town Hall:
Materials on the protest, called “Rage For Rafah,” also indicate that it was co-organized by groups Berkshires for Collective Liberation and Berkshire County’s Democratic Socialists of America. “The ruling classes kill babies abroad and exploit workers at home,” the post on Instagram stated. “Join us for a rally against the violence of Zionism, here and everywhere.
According to several eyewitnesses who spoke to The Berkshire Edge on the condition of anonymity, the protest proceeded from Town Hall over to the front of Fuel Coffee shop at 293 Main Street.
In an anonymous Facebook post, a writer on the Great Barrington Community Board called out the owners of Fuel and made multiple claims against them, including that the owners of the shop fired an employee for attending a rally. “It’s beyond absurd that in our community, we have rich toads who believe they can trample on working people without consequences,” the writer posted on Facebook. “Fuel Coffee Shop’s recent actions are a stark reminder of the ongoing issues we face with white supremacy and exploitation. This isn’t just an isolated incident; it’s a reflection of a broader system of white supremacy that perpetuates violence and discrimination. Our community must take a stand against this. Let’s make it clear that we do not support genocide, gentrification, or Zionism.”
On Monday, June 3, Jewish Federation of the Berkshires Executive Director Dara Kaufman issued an email statement regarding the protests:
We are deeply disturbed and saddened by the blatantly antisemitic targeting of a local business and its Jewish owners by anti-Israel protesters outside of Fuel Coffee in Great Barrington on Saturday morning. The protesters disrupted sidewalk traffic in front of the business holding signs and chanting that Fuel Coffee supports genocide. One sign specifically targeted the owners by name.
The owners believe this incident was instigated by a disgruntled employee who had recently been let go after multiple requests by management to refrain from sharing his political opinions with patrons during working hours. The employee’s behavior was deemed inappropriate for a business setting and made customers uncomfortable.
This incident is deeply unsettling to the Jewish community and harmful to the welcoming and supportive environment that Southern Berkshire businesses and leaders have worked so hard to create. In response, the Federation will be meeting with local Jewish business owners and has reached out to other civic leaders regarding this and other incidents impacting our community.
If you are looking for a cup of coffee or a bite to eat this summer, please consider Fuel. Your patronage, of them and the other businesses in Great Barrington, will be a meaningful way to show support and strengthen bonds within the community.
Let us remain united and resilient in the face of such challenges, continuing to build a community rooted in mutual respect and understanding.
At the Great Barrington Selectboard meeting on June 3, Selectboard Vice Chair Leigh Davis made a statement about the protests. “It was a sad, sad day for Great Barrington,” Davis said. “For me, the protests that happened outside of a small business had nothing to do with alleviating suffering that was happening in Gaza. For me, it was blatant antisemitic behavior. When you have a name of a business owner on a sign with the word ‘genocide,’ it’s—it is what it is. And what’s upsetting is that people thought it was OK that they could actually have that happen on the streets. I can understand the protests and not trying to trample on people’s First Amendment rights, but when you put together someone’s name and the word ‘genocide’ and you target a business that’s owned by someone of Jewish faith, for me, that crosses the line. I am incredibly upset and saddened. People can say, ‘I’m taking sides.’ I am taking the side of civility. I’m taking the side of humanity and decency, and this cannot happen again. I strongly ask the people involved that this is the end of it. If they want to protest, they can protest. But please do not target our small businesses, please do not target people that have invested in this town that have families that are being affected.”
Police Chief Paul Storti wrote via email that that police were able to speak to one of the organizers during the June 1 protest in front of Fuel and that the protestors eventually moved on without incident.
Fuel store co-owner Elan Merkel wrote via email to The Berkshire Edge that he did not have any comments about the protest.
Meanwhile, on their Instagram account, the Berkshire County Democratic Socialists of America indicated that they would be marching in Berkshire Pride’s annual Pride Parade in Pittsfield on Saturday, June 8 to protest the conflict in Gaza.
