A Brooklyn coffee chain that touts "radical hospitality" just drew a federal civil-rights probe after telling a New York congressman he's not welcome. Williamsburg's Poetica Coffee posted an apparent surveillance still of Democratic Rep. Dan Goldman during his Sunday visit to the cafe on Instagram and blasted him over his support for Israel, saying it doesn't serve "genocide enablers" and that its coffee "doesn't taste like genocide juice," reports the New York Times. The post claimed that the shop had refunded Goldman's purchase, telling him to "enjoy your loss on Tuesday," a reference to the Democratic primary Goldman is competing in, and adding, "Don't ever come to Poetica."
The post was later taken down; the account also disappeared, but screenshots spread quickly. Goldman, who said he'd stopped in so his 7-year-old daughter could use the bathroom and bought coffee to thank the barista, replied online that the employee "could not have been nicer." In an interview with CNN, he called the ban against him "quite sad." The flap came right before a Democratic primary in the heavily progressive, largely Jewish 10th District, where Israel policy has become a central fault line, per the Times.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon said on Monday that the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division is investigating the incident. Goldman's challenger, Brad Lander—who has slammed Goldman for not being critical enough on Israel, per the AP—said there are "plenty of ways" to pressure politicians "without turning coffee shops into places people don't feel welcome." "I'm glad Poetica took down their post, and I thought Representative Goldman's reply was extremely gracious," Lander added.
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