Protesters gather at coffee shop that banned Rep. Dan Goldman over Israel stance

Pro-Israel demonstrators and counter-protesters gathered outside a Brooklyn coffee shop on Wednesday following the chain's decision to ban Rep. Dan Goldman over his stance on Israel. The demonstrations at the Williamsburg Poetica Coffee location occurred days after the chain posted on Instagram that Goldman, a New York Democrat, was not welcome back and that they do not serve 'genocide enablers.'

Poetica stated that Goldman's order had been refunded. The deleted Instagram post read, 'Hey Congressman Dan Goldman, we see that you stopped by our shop today for a coffee. Do you see how it doesn't taste like genocide juice?'

On Wednesday morning, a few dozen protesters were observed outside the coffee shop, alongside smaller counter-protest groups. NYPD officers maintained separation between the demonstrators, who engaged in competing chants. The demonstration, organized by #EndJewHatred, featured speakers calling for an apology from Poetica, praising the Justice Department's civil-rights investigation, and denouncing New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

In separate areas, counter-protesters held signs criticizing Israel's military actions in Gaza, the West Bank, and Lebanon. The Justice Department's Civil Rights Division confirmed it had opened an investigation into the incident, citing federal laws against discrimination by public accommodations. Poetica Coffee did not immediately respond to requests for comment, and its Instagram account was unavailable. The chain's Yelp page displayed a 'public attention alert' due to a surge in one-star reviews.

Goldman, who is Jewish, said he had a pleasant interaction with the staff during his visit and called the shop's post 'sad.' In a CNN interview, he stated he supported human rights and found the events in the Middle East 'horrific,' adding that while he might disagree on whether genocide is occurring, 'we're better than this.' He also suggested Justice Department resources could be better allocated to antisemitism cases involving individuals without his public profile.