The trucks circled the company’s headquarters starting at 8am EST and continued the progression the entire day.
More than 140,000 All Out members sent messages to the company’s CEO urging Coca-Cola to take the following steps:
“Coke is an incredibly important position of power and has the ability to influence the International Olympic Committee, other sponsors and Russian leaders,” said Andre Banks, executive director and co-founder of All Out. “The safety and dignity of Russians, athletes and fans is in doubt as long as Russia’s anti-gay laws are intact. Olympic sponsors have a moral obligation to speak out now.
“As one of the largest Olympic sponsors, Coca-Cola should take a strong stand against Russia’s anti-gay laws ahead of the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi. We urge them to speak out against the anti-gay propaganda law and call for a repeal before the Olympics, donate funds to Russian human rights defenders, and ask the Olympic committee to change the rule so future Olympics can only happen in countries that fully respect equality.”
In August, All Out members delivered more than 300,000 signatures to the International Olympic Committee headquarters. Members urged the IOC to speak out against Russia’s anti-gay law ahead of the 2014 Winter Games.
Last month the IOC, while under pressure from All Out members, confirmed Principle 6 of the Olympic charter includes protections against discrimination based on sexual orientation. However, as long as the anti-gay laws are in place during the Sochi Games, the Olympic charter is unenforceable.
In September, NBC reported record advertising revenue for the 2014 Games, with more than $800m already committed. NBC predicted the total could approach $970m before the games.
Coca-Cola has been a sponsor of the Olympics since the 1928 Games in Amsterdam, and is considered one of the top sponsors for the 2014 Games.
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