Activists welcome as a victory the withdrawal by Grand West Casino of its court application for an urgent interdict against the upcoming #PharrellProtest in Cape Town. 

On Monday, 14 September Grand West Casino lodged a court application against activists. The company were seeking an urgent interdict against #PharrellProtest actions during the upcoming Pharrell Williams Woolworths tour, and in particular the upcoming protest at Grand West Casino this Monday 21 September.

 

Grand West Casino, the host of the Woolworths Pharrell Williams concert, wanted the courts to unfairly limit the protest action to only 150 people. Late this afternoon the company back-tracked on its court application.

This withdrawal is a victory for freedom of expression as the interdict that Grand West Casino had sought was highly improper.
Non-violent protests and civil society activism is something celebrated in our country, this is something that Pharrell Williams, Woolworths and the event organisers must realise. 

Woolworths and Pharrell Williams claim to respect ethics, humanity and human rights yet here they were indirectly complicit in a court application inherently anti-expression and anti-freedom.

We are not against Pharrell Williams nor Woolworths but we are against their approval, trade and relations with Apartheid Israel. Pharrell Williams, according to media reports, is due to land in South Africa following an Israeli tour. Woolworths has a R12 million trade relationship with Israel that it has refused to terminate even though its customers, various organizations and human rights activists have called on the company to do so. 

*** [Kindly note that the upcoming #PharrellProtest is still the subject of another court application which will be heard tomorrow morning at 10am at the Western Cape Hight Court and involves the City of Cape Town.]