An activist has put stickers calling for a boycott of Israeli produce on goods on sale at a branch of the Colruyt supermarket chain in the Antwerp district of Deurne. The sticker make reference to the BDS movement, an organisation that believes that Israel treats the Palestinian inhumanely and calls for economic sanctions against Israel. Colruyt says that it will not be lodging a complaint against the activist, whose identity is as yet unknown.
Activist puts stickers on products in Antwerp supermarket calling for a boycott of Israeli produce
Mike Barlow
Published:
The daily ‘Gazet van Antwerpen’ reports that staff and customers at the Colruyt supermarket on the Ruggeveldlaan in Deurne found stickers warning that “This item funds genocide” stuck on several products at the store. ‘BDS’ is an abbreviation of “Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions”.
The international movement has been calling for an economic boycott of and sanctions against Israel for the past 20 years. It has been doing so to put pressure on Israel to respect the (human) rights of the Palestinians.
No damage, no complaint
In an email Colruyt reacts by saying that it fully understands that there is a lot of discontent about what is happening in Gaza and that “organisations that wish to decry what is going focus on certain products and companies. These include a few of the product that we have on our shelves”.
Colruyt adds that it abides by national and international guidelines when it purchases products for sale in its stores.
Colruyt add the identity of the person that stuck the stickers is as yet unknown. The supermarket chain says there was not real damage it will not be making a complaint. As yet the stickers have only been seen at the supermarket chain’s Deurne store.