Darfur Group Protests Olympic Sponsors

The activist group Dream for Darfur will organize protests against 16 companies sponsoring the Beijing Olympics for exhibiting what it calls “moral cowardice” and reluctance to pressure China, a major investor in Sudan, to help end conflict in Darfur, reports the Associated Press.

The group said it would urge viewers to turn off commercials during the Olympic Games in August and also plans to protest at the companies’ headquarters. The first demonstrations are to take place against Coca-Cola in Atlanta on Saturday and New York on Sunday and against Staples in Boston on Sunday.

In response, Coca-Cola called attention to its company’s charitable work in Sudan, including a $5-million donation to water projects. “We view this as a more direct — and more effective — route than Dream for Darfur’s public posturing,” the statement said.

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