Photo by christaki

In early June, the Washington Post’s Tara Bahrampour wrote a story about a Starbucks in a Falls Church strip mall that had become a remarkably diverse enclave for local immigrants from countries like Morocco, Egypt and Somalia. Cab drivers, construction workers, scientists and business owners would meet at the “café,” filling the outdoor seats and talking about the events of the day.

For over a decade they met, helping one another navigate the logistical and cultural complexities of assimilation while striving to preserve what they saw as the most important pieces of home.

On Friday, Bahrampour reported that shortly after the story ran, all the outdoor seating which had been central to the immigrants’ gathering had been removed from the Starbucks. A Fairfax County official said the store lacked the correct permitting for outdoor seating, and Starbucks said they’re working to resolve the issue.

Concerned readers have been emailing Bahrampour questioning whether or not the story had anything to do with the removal of the seating. What do you think?