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Trump supporters launch #TrumpCup as a protest against Starbucks

By Alex Leininger, CNN

Updated 1659 GMT (0059 HKT) November 18, 2016

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#TrumpCup is a movement against Starbucks due to their alleged discrimination.

Story highlights

#TrumpCup calls on supporters to ask for their drink under Trump's name
The protest comes after a Miami man claims to have been refused service

(CNN) — Trump supporters have started asking for their Starbucks drinks under Trump's name as a movement against the coffee giant.

After a viral video showing a Trump supporter yelling at a barista gained traction on Wednesday, other supporters have banded together to protest what they view as political and anti-white discrimination.

The man in the video told the Miami Herald that he was racially discriminated against and that the barista wouldn't serve him because she knew he was a Trump supporter.

#trump supporter in #miami @Starbucks attacks & threatens patrons & staff bc coffee took too long, blames anti-white "discrimination" pic.twitter.com/HRj9EahrMy
— jorge de cardenas (@Jbdcl) November 16, 2016

The hashtag #TrumpCup isn't new, but blew up after a Twitter user posted instructions to followers Friday morning. The hashtag had over 12,000 tweets as of 10 a.m. Friday.

Operation #TrumpCup

1) Go to Starbucks & tell them your name is Trump

2) If they refuse take video

Pls share & spread the word pic.twitter.com/huPj4g6cqY
— Baked Alaska™ (@bakedalaska) November 18, 2016

The protest is an attempt to make Starbucks baristas yell Trump's name and write it on their coffee cups, as is the company's mandate.

Some supporters claim to have been refused a #TrumpCup and see it as a breach of their rights.

My 8 year old after being refused a #TrumpCup

"This violates article 12 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child!"

We all clapped
— Chicago Joe (@adudeinaplace2) November 18, 2016

Refuses to write Trump on a cup.

Demands Christians to bake cakes for homosexuals.

Lib Logic.#TrumpCup
— Deplorable Josh (@JoshNoneYaBiz) November 18, 2016

But others find the protest counterintuitive, as the plan relies on giving Starbucks money in the first place.

Instead of asking for a #TrumpCup just boycott #Starbucks. Companies ONLY get the message when it hurts their wallet$.
— ♥Deplorable in Pink♥ (@pink_lady56) November 18, 2016

Why are you giving @Starbucks your money and support? You are only attacking the worker #TrumpCup
— ViperZ28 (@viperz28) November 18, 2016

This all comes after the controversy that plagued Starbucks last year as they introduced a plain red holiday cup that was markedly different from Christmas cups in the past. Joshua Feuerstein, a former pastor, called the new cups a "war on Christmas" in a video posted to Facebook.

But many social media users find the Starbucks protests old and tiresome.

Why are conservatives always flipping out over @Starbucks cups every year? 😂 #TrumpCup
— Ambi Naidu (@ambirox) November 18, 2016

I assume that #TrumpCup is going to be another "Holiday Cup" debacle based off a satire tweet
— Dream (@Hugcatsplzthx) November 18, 2016

Some even call out the logic of the movement with a good-natured slight at Starbucks.

I'm unclear on what happened, but this should have been NBD. who cares what name they write? They never get them right anyway #TrumpCup
— Tracy Singer (@lasinger711) November 18, 2016

If all the Trumpsters use the same name at Starbucks they'll get their orders mixed up. They did not think this through #TrumpCup
— Seth Pajak Ⓥ (@SethP23) November 18, 2016

CNN's calls to Starbucks were not immediately returned.