The employee then adds “the blue ingredient that Starbucks has,” and blends it with some bleach and ice. The blue liquid is then poured into an iced drink cup and is served with a straw, “because they [police] only think about themselves,” the employee says in the video.
In the background of the TikTok, a song titled “All I Want for Christmas is a Few Dead Cops” is heard. A Twitter user found the TikTok online and shared it, letting Starbucks know about the dangerous concoction.
The employee identified as the TikTok creator worked at Target, not Starbucks.
“This video is appalling and unacceptable,” a spokesperson for Target said in a statement. “We don’t tolerate this behavior at Target, we want all guests to be treated with respect and are terminating the team member who is responsible.
“We also have rigorous food safety procedures in place, which this team member egregiously violated with this behavior. We’re deeply sorry for this disturbing video, which TikTok has removed based on the platform’s guidelines.”
This isn’t the first time an employee was let go for taking a stance over the Black Lives Matter movement and its opposition, Blue Lives Matter.
In Des Moines, Iowa this month, two Dunkin Donut employees were fired after refusing to serve police officers. Dunkin released an apology after the incident, adding that the franchise owner called the police department to personally apologize.
“The employees’ behavior is not consistent with Dunkin’s goal of creating an inclusive, welcoming environment for all of our guests,” a spokesperson said. “Additionally, Dunkin’ respects the efforts of our police force as they work to maintain a safe community for all of us. The franchise owner, who independently owns and operates this restaurant, informs us that the two individuals responsible have been terminated.”
Additionally, a Taco Bell employee was fired for wearing a Black Lives Matter mask in June, Business Insider reported. The company, however, apologized to Denzel Skinner for the firing after a video of the incident went viral. People also spoke out on social media to boycott the fast food chain, and shared home hacks for their Taco Bell favorites
“Our Chief People Officer and Yum!’s Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer spoke with Denzel last week to apologize and discuss the situation,” a Taco Bell representative said in a statement. “Our goal is to ensure our policies are inclusive and keep our team members and customers safe.”
The statement added: “While our policies at restaurants do not prohibit Team Members from wearing Black Lives Matter masks, we are working to clarify our mask policy so this doesn’t happen again.”
