Arrests at the Rittenhouse Square Starbucks

Guests: David Harris, Marc Lamont Hill, Gene Demby

The arrest of two black men at the Rittenhouse Square Starbucks in Philadelphia has caused an uproar among community members and social justice advocates and many of the public. A manager called the police after asking the men to leave because they had not purchased anything. The men said that they were waiting for a friend to arrive for a meeting, refused to leave, and were arrested, handcuffed and taken to the police department. This was all captured on video with bystanders saying the men did nothing wrong.  They were released hours later without charges. Today on the show we’ll talk about the incident, its implications, and its repercussions with Temple University professor and political commentator MARC LAMONT HILL, who owns the Germantown coffee shop Uncle Bobbie’s, and with GENE DEMBY, of NPR’s “Code Switch.” But first, we’ll get University of Pittsburgh law professor DAVID HARRIS’ thoughts on the legality and appropriateness of the police response at Starbucks.