Hip Hop star, Pharrell Williams was met with about 500 demonstrators outside a Cape Town venue where he was due to perform this past Monday.
The adamant crowd was in protest against the U.S. pop star’s promotional deal with South African retailer, Woolworths and its trade ties with Israel.
Williams is collaborating with Woolworths as its style director on several fashion projects as well as fundraising for education. (But none of them care about that other factor of course – ‘blood money is blood money’)
Woolworths, who says it does not source produce from the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories, also claims that it clearly labels every product’s country of origin.
But these folks apparently think differently.
The protest was launched by the South African branch of the international Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions against Israel (BDS) movement.
By working with Woolworths, Pharrell supports Israel, a country that supports the oppression of Palestine, a country that is the new apartheid state,” said Ashraf Salie, who stood amongst a crowd waving Palestinian flags at the entrance to the GrandWest Casino where Williams was performing.
Protesters also held up placards that read, Pharrell is welcome if Gaza is free” and “Pharrell and Woolworths have blood on their hands.”The 42-year-old Grammy award-winning producer/ performer’s concert was scheduled to proceed despite the protests.
