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San Francisco bakery sells anti-ICE cookies
A San Francisco bakery recently started selling cookies decorated with anti-ICE messaging. The owner said the proceeds will go to the Minnesota Community Advocacy Network, and that the move was inspired by the anti-ICE movements in Minnesota.
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. - A small business in San Francisco found a unique way to protest the nationwide anti-immigration surge.
Devil’s Teeth Bakery is selling anti-ICE cookies, and owner Hilary Passman said the proceeds go to an advocacy group in Minnesota.
Sweet treats with strong message
The sweet shortbread cookies come with a strong message: "Fuck ICE," spelled in icing.
Passman started selling the cookies at her three locations this week after the events in Minnesota.
"I don’t think anybody should be murdered in broad daylight. I don’t think these anti-immigration sweeps should be happening," she said. "I just think it’s all pretty terrible."
She said 100% of the proceeds go to the Minnesota Community Action Network, a group of over 1,000 anti-poverty advocacy groups with programs for housing and food security.
Protest cookies selling out fast
The cookies are already a hit, attracting more business after the bakery announced the fundraiser online.
The first day they only sold 150 cookies across three locations. By Wednesday, they raised the supply to 300.
What they're saying:
Whitney Spence, a regular at Devil’s Teeth, took one bite and said the cookie "tastes like democracy."
She said she came in as soon as she heard about the fundraiser.
"I’m happy to support businesses that say ‘hey, you are harming the people of our community,'" Spence said.
Joel Rosenthal, a frequent customer from Half Moon Bay, said he was moved by the shooting of Alex Pretti, an ICU nurse at the Minneapolis VA. He said he was pleased to hear about the cookies.
"I was a long-time VA employee. That was my career, so that made it much more personal for me," Rosenthal said. "(Selling these cookies) will bring me back just that much more to this business."
The staff at the shop on Noriega said they sold out of the cookies within an hour of opening Tuesday, and the other two locations weren’t far behind.
"I love it, it’s great to see that everyone’s coming together," loyal customer Mia Photenhauer said.
While some folks protest with signs, this mom-and-pop joined the movement using the tools they have at hand.
"It’s important that I show my kids, even if it’s just making a cookie, you have to stand up for what you believe in," Passman said.
It's not just Passman though — the cookies are a team effort. The store manager got the idea from Noisette Pastry Kitchen in Eugene, and the head baker is making them all by hand.
"The first thing she said was that her hands were very cramped and sore from writing the F word hundreds of times last night," Passman said.
Small business voice versus big-box retailer silence
Cookies stand in stark contrast to the protests around corporations and big retailers, which many activists have boycotted for working with ICE.
"We just want this to stop," Photenhauer said.
"This is not how this country is supposed to be," Spence said. "We have some of the largest organizations, corporations out there [in the greater Bay Area]. What are they doing? They have incredible economic power."
Backlash online
The other side:
Despite mostly positive feedback, the bakery saw some backlash online, with some comments reading "how totally ignorant" and "ICE is doing the job that the law requires. You must have a lot of illegals working for you, and shopping there."
Passman isn't dwelling on those comments though.
"I don’t care, everyone’s allowed to have their opinions, and I’m allowed to have mine and mine is ‘fuck ICE,’" Passman said.
What's next:
Passman said she has no plans to stop making the cookies.
"We’re going to keep doing this as long as ICE is killing people," she said.
Passman added they’ve sold about 300 a day for $3.50 a pop, so the donations could be in the thousands.