Seattle Citizens Arrest Coca-Cola Corporation
'Deputies' Enforce Ban on School Vending Machine Ads

Today, the Citizens' Campaign for Commercial-Free Schools made a mock citizens' arrest of the Coca-Cola Corporation after finding them illegally advertising on school vending machines for the past 15 months.

The symbolic arrest took place on Tuesday, March 4, 2003 at 10:00 a.m. at Franklin High School in Seattle. A half dozen citizen 'deputies' issued a 'warrant' for policy violations, and presented "Joe Cola" posters which schools can use to cover advertising facades.

"Advertising on school vending machines is prohibited," says Brita Butler-Wall, Executive Director of the Citizens' Campaign for Commercial-Free Schools. "This flagrant disregard for board policy raises serious questions about who is actually controlling the Seattle School District--the School Board or outside interests."

Says local labor leader and attorney Sarah Luthens, "Because corporations now enjoy status as 'persons' under the law, we believe it is our duty to make a citizens' arrest in order to protect Seattle children from Coke's predatory marketing practices."

Under pressure from CCCS, top district administrators had pledged on January 23, 2003 to finally remove advertising from all vending machines by Feb. 28, 15 months after the policy was adopted. The Citizens' Campaign sent volunteer monitors into a dozen Seattle secondary schools on Monday, Mar. 3 to check on compliance. Multiple violations were found in 12 of the 13 schools. Hamilton middle school had removed vending machines altogether.

The Citizens' Campaign for Commercial-Free Schools is a statewide grassroots organization whose mission is to protect the right of all Washington children to a commercial-free public education. CCCS lobbied for five years to get the commercialism policy in Seattle, which was adopted on Nov. 21, 2001 to be effective immediately.