WASHINGTON, Dec. 31 (UPI) -- Chipotle is managing a social media firestorm after an incident involving one of its employee's greeting NYPD officers with a protest gesture.
The incident happened on Dec. 16, but the details are hazy as the social media posts detailing the incident have been deleted.
Allegedly, a group of NYPD officers walked into the Chipotle location in Brooklyn when an employee held their hands up in the "Hands up! Don't shoot!" protest gesture. The officers then left the line and departed the store without ordering food.
Chipotle insists the officers were not refused service and the protest was not a coordinated effort by employees. The company added the employee in question has faced appropriate disciplinary action.
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"We work very hard to ensure that every customer in our restaurants feels welcome and is treated with respect," Chipotle CEOs Steve Ells and Monty Moran said in a statement. "Clearly, the actions of this crew member undermined that effort."
Pro-NYPD activists and websites are calling for the dismissal of the employee who still reportedly holds his position in the chain restaurant. The reviews section of its Facebook page has been flooded with one star reviews and demands for dismissal. There are also some who praise the employee.
"I like Chipotle and they have options for non meat eaters. However, I will not go to another Chipotle unless I hear that the employee who so disgracefully offended our cops that put their lives on the line daily is fired. I am sure the job can be filled by another. Keep politics and agendas out of the business," said patron Kata Kimbe in a review.
