Group arrested for Woolies protest

Vox Populi Vox Dei

Vox Populi Vox Dei

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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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Source: http://www.iol.co.za/news/south-afr...ed-for-woolies-protest-1.1770630#.VEvH4SLQpQs
 
Well, as soon as they entered the shop to protest they deserved to be arrested. Protesting outside while not obstructing the entrances would have been fine
 
Aw shamepies... maybe you should not protest inside shops anymore as it is deliberate obstruction of a business and its customers...
 
It was a peaceful protest at least. And surely one can stand anywhere on public property. Obstruction of entrances, if one stands on public land is not illegal per se. It's not trespassing.
 
Space_Chief said:
It was a peaceful protest at least. And surely one can stand anywhere on public property. Obstruction of entrances, if one stands on public land is not illegal per se. It's not trespassing.
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She said the protest was completely peaceful and demonstrators had simply walked into the shop and lay on the ground with their placards.
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Trespassing.
 
#BoycottWoolworths Pro- Palestine protestors arrested during a flash protest at Killarney Mall earlier today have now been released. TK

-EWN Reporter
 
Space_Chief said:
It was a peaceful protest at least. And surely one can stand anywhere on public property. Obstruction of entrances, if one stands on public land is not illegal per se. It's not trespassing.
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Be that as it may, it undermines the goals of BDS itself. Trying to convince people to join your movement by blocking their way tends not to work
 
imranpanji said:
Be that as it may, it undermines the goals of BDS itself. Trying to convince people to join your movement by blocking their way tends not to work
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It's a protest action, like the protest strike at the Post Office. What the these people want to do is increase public awareness for their cause through making things inconvenient. Does it work, I don't know. But at least some people know something is happening. if they did not make some form of inconvenience for people it would not be much of a protest. People would just ignore it.
 
hashbrown99 said:
Obstruction of trade.
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Well they were trespassing. All these stores have "Right of Admission reserved" signs. If you go into Woolies to pee against the wall or beg or hand out advertising leaflets for some other store, they may also throw you out and arrest you even if no customer notices. :)
 
Space_Chief said:
It's a protest action, like the protest strike at the Post Office. What the these people want to do is increase public awareness for their cause through making things inconvenient. Does it work, I don't know. But at least some people know something is happening. if they did not make some form of inconvenience for people it would not be much of a protest. People would just ignore it.
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Wrong. The one is protected by law. The other is not.
 
MickeyD said:
Wrong. The one is protected by law. The other is not.
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The Post Office strike is also illegal (unprotected). And our mail is protected too under various laws. And it's still our property.

Protests need not be "legal". People are so shocked here that some business was obstructed, it's a freaking protest. So they got arrested for entering the store and doing whatnot. The fact that they exited is no different to trespassing and then when you get off the property being surprised the cops want to take you in.
 
Protests, as long as they're peaceful, are COOL IMO. If they get arrested for whatnot, it's their loss. Better than violence and destruction of property and assault.
 
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