Israeli Ambassador in South Africa Arthur Lenk has --yet again-- taken to social media to market Israeli fresh produce at Woolworths. This time Lenk  posted pictures of Israeli cherries (which Palestinian analysts immediately pointed out are from in all likelihood the illegally Israeli Occupied Golan Heights). Click here for info.

Last year alone, in less than six months, the hashtag #BoycottWoolworths reached over 143 million social media users. Spread the BDS Pharrel Williams #BoycottWoolworth spoof video (find here) but also consider creating your own satirical video, poster or meme! Remember to tag us (@bdssouthafrica) along with @Pharrell and @Woolworths_SA - also include the hashtag #BoycottWoolworths! For info on the campaign click here.

 

A Pharrell Williams BDS #BoycottWoolworths spoof video was released earlier today and has gone viral on social media hitting by midday the number one trend spot on Twitter.

The Pharrell Williams spoof video is based on Woolworths' own #PharrellWithWoolies April 2015 video (in which the US artist had announced his collaboration with Woolworths). It is alleged that Woolworths has signed up Pharrell Williams in an attempt to counter the growing #BoycottWoolworths campaign. CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE PHARRELL WILLIAMS BDS #BOYCOTTWOOLWORTHS SPOOF VIDEO.

Due to its trade with Israel, Woolworths is currently facing the largest consumer boycott South Africa has seen since the end of Apartheid. In August 2014 a call for the complete boycott of Woolworths until it ends its Israeli trade was made by various SA organizations including the National Coalition 4 Palestine (a coalition consisting of South African civil society organizations, trade unions and other groups).

 

In addition to the spoof video which was launched today to coincide with the monthly National #BoycottWoolworths Day Action (which takes place on the last Saturday of every month) Woolworths stores also saw protests in various South African cities.

 

In Cape Town, for example, at the busy flagship V&A Waterfront Woolworths store, activists loaded 18 trolleys of Woolworths goods ranging from Israeli cherries to grilled-chicken, jackets, clothes, sta-soft, handy-andy, eggs, ice-cream, bread, milk, fish and other items (totaling, in one trolley alone, R19 000). The activists --borrwoing from the 1980s anti-apartheid tactic of till-jamming-- rung the goods up at the tills but then refused to pay due to Woolworth's trade with Israel.

 

The store was brought to a standstill on one of its busiest month -end days for over an hour with customers saying "BDS is here", however, BDS South Africa was not part of today's till-jam action. It could have been carried out, from reports, by a Christian Reverend and student activists who also support the #BoycottWoolworths campaign. Click here for more info.