Angry protesters gathered outside Philadelphia Starbucks, amid swift public outcry over the arrest of two black men at at one of the coffee chain's Philadelphia stores.

During the early demonstration that forced the store to close, protesters called the mammoth coffee chain "anti-black."

Demonstrators called for the firing of the employee who contacted police, who arrested the men on Thursday.

The two men, who were waiting for a friend, were arrested for trespassing after the store manager called the police.

As Starbucks racial controversy rages on,  a video recorded at a South Bay store earlier this year shows a Starbucks worker wouldn't give a black man the code for the restroom, telling him he needed to make a purchase.

 Starbucks announced on Tuesday that it would close more than 8,000 US stores for the afternoon on May 29 to train employees on racial bias.

Race relations are always a significant issue in American public life. Recently, events in Charlottesville have added a presidential dimension to the discussion. 

US president, Donald Trump faced widespread criticism after he blamed “both sides” for the violence in Charlottesville., where the civil rights activist Heather Heyer was killed when a car rammed into a group of people protesting against a white nationalist rally.

A UN committee charged with tackling racism has issued an “early warning” over conditions in the US and urged the Trump administration to “unequivocally and unconditionally” reject discrimination.