Group arrested for Woolies protest

File photo: A few members from a pro-Palestinian lobby group protest outside Woolworths (in Cavendish Square) in Claremont. Photo: jason boud

File photo: A few members from a pro-Palestinian lobby group protest outside Woolworths (in Cavendish Square) in Claremont. Photo: jason boud

Published Oct 25, 2014

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Johannesburg - A total of 57 people who had protested in a Woolworths store in Killarney Mall were arrested on Saturday, Johannesburg police said.

The group was charged with public disturbance, said Constable Thabo Malatji.

“They went to Woolies and started disturbing customers inside the shop,” said Malatji.

The protests are linked to continued calls to boycott Woolworths as it continued to trade with Israel following the deadly war in Gaza.

Tasneem Essop from the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions campaign, who organised the protest, said some of those arrested were minors.

“It is completely ridiculous and it goes against the values we wish to uphold,” said Essop.

She said the protest was completely peaceful and demonstrators had simply walked into the shop and lay on the ground with their placards.

Essop explained that the activists were not arrested inside Woolworths but were already outside of the mall doors when they were approached by police. - Sapa

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