Montreal coffee chain terminates contract with woman videoed doing Hitler salute

The Canadian coffee chain Second Cup terminated the contract with a franchisee in Montreal after she was filmed making a Nazi salute while wearing a keffiyeh during pro-Palestinian protests last week.

Second Cup said it was terminating its franchise agreement with the franchisee of the coffee shop after it found that she had made “hateful remarks and gestures,” adding that it had “zero tolerance for hate speech.”

The woman, who ran a Second Cup café at the Jewish General Hospital in Montreal, was videoed making a Hitler salute during the mass protests in Quebec.

Official Statement pic.twitter.com/7gSUjcjAJZ

— Second Cup Café (@SecondCupCanada) November 23, 2024

“This franchisee’s actions are not only a breach of our franchise agreement, but they also violate the values of inclusion and community we stand for,” Second Cup said.

Sen. Leo Housakos (Quebec) said: “This great Canadian, Montreal-owned company has taken this principled stand at risk to their own business. In so doing, they are showing the courage and leadership Canada needs right now but is so desperately lacking from those in the highest of public offices.”