Vertigo

How your daily coffee can do good: Cornerstone Cafe and standing with Palestine

By Bianca Drummond Costa (she/her)

How your daily coffee can do good:

If you go to UTS, you’ve probably dropped by Cornerstone Cafe to grab a $2 coffee between 2 and 3 in the afternoon. Upon paying for your drink, it’s hard to miss the pole beside the cash register decorated with stickers. If you’re a true Cornerstone regular, you will know that these stickers change seasonally to reflect current social and cultural activism campaigns.

Perhaps, you noticed the Aboriginal flags and ‘Yes!’ stickers that were pinned up during the referendum. Perhaps, you were there when it was drowning in hearts and pride flags during Mardi Gras. 

Currently, it is screaming in solidarity with Palestine, by donning a plethora of Palestinian flags and “Free Palestine” stickers.

Since November of last year, Cornerstone Cafe has started following the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) List, which is targeted towards companies that are proven to be involved in apartheid and are complicit in Israel’s violation of human rights against Palestinians. Cornerstone’s decision to do so is fronted by the cafe's owner and manager, Nidal Abo Roza, who has since removed products owned by Coca-Cola and Pepsi Co. from the cafe. Both companies are currently on the BDS list, which Nidal makes sure to monitor regularly to ensure he is as updated as he can be.

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