Cat Cafe supports community during national no-buy protest
By McKenna Alexander
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LANCASTER, Pennsylvania (WGAL) — The Lancatster Cat Cafe is staying open during a national no-buy protest against ICE, donating all proceeds and staff wages to the Lancaster Neighbor Fund and the Immigrant Defense Network in Minnesota.
During last week’s no-buy protest in Minneapolis, many businesses closed for the day.
According to its official website, the National Shutdown campaign calls for “no work, no school, no shopping” on January 30, urging people to stop “funding ICE.”
The cafe’s owner, Jax Lanza, said, “I think the community at this point knows our hearts and what we stand for and what matters to us. And they really showed up for us with this statement that we’re making.”
The act of solidarity was announced on Facebook and quickly gained traction. Lanza expressed relief at the positive community response, saying, “It’s huge. It’s really humbling. And it’s made my heart incredibly full, that we have this mission and people see it and are also following and shoot and inspiring others, and it’s just really great to be a part of all of it.”
On Friday, the cafe will also provide postcards and information on how to contact senators about ICE’s recent work across the country.
Lanza emphasized the importance of education, stating, “If someone hadn’t educated me, I wouldn’t know what to do. So, we’ve just got to keep moving forward and keep educating ourselves so that we’re, we know what to do in this voice of oppression.”
She also highlighted the significance of small acts of community support, saying, “Those little things right now, like showing up for your community, taking care of your friends, making meals, petting cats. Those are the things that bring us joy right now. And joy is such a form of resistance and an incredibly important one, ” Lanza added.
During last week’s no-buy protest in Minneapolis, many businesses closed for the day.
However, the Lancatster Cat Cafe is staying open to assist the Lancaster and Minneapolis immigrant communities.
It has not been confirmed if any other businesses are doing the same.
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