By Natalie ShermanBusiness reporter, New York
BBCStarbucks has published a letter calling for peace and blaming “misrepresentation” of its views for vandalism of its stores.
The message from boss Laxman Narasimhan comes as the coffee giant grapples with protests and boycott campaigns on social media tied to the Israel-Gaza war and a union fight in the US.
Reports of slower sales have also hit its share price.
It is unclear if the message will ease tensions.
In the letter to staff, which was posted on the firm’s website, Mr Narasimhan did not mention the Middle East explicitly but said that “conflicts in many parts” had unleashed violence, hate, lies and weaponized speech, “all of which we condemn”.
“Cities around the world – including here in North America – have seen escalating protests. Many of our stores have experienced incidents of vandalism. We see protestors…
