South African protesters ransack H&M stores over 'racist' ad

[rooster59]

South African protesters ransack H&M stores over 'racist' ad

By Alexander Winning

 

People protest in front of H&M store in Cape Town, South Africa, January 13, 2018 in this picture obtained from social media by REUTERS

 

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - Protesters angered by a "racist" H&M advertisement ransacked several of the Swedish fashion group's South African stores on Saturday.

 

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) protesters targeted six H&M stores in the Gauteng province, where South Africa's economic hub of Johannesburg is located, tearing down shop displays and throwing clothes around, police said.

 

In one instance, officers fired rubber bullets to disperse the protesters, the police added.

 

H&M earlier this week issued an apology for the widely criticised ad, which featured a black child modelling a sweatshirt with the slogan "coolest monkey in the jungle", and said it had removed it from all its marketing.

 

But Mbuyiseni Ndlozi, spokesman for the ultra-left EFF, said that was too little, too late.

 

"The time of apologies for racism are over; there must be consequences to anti-black racism, period!" Ndlozi wrote on Twitter, posting pictures of a vandalised H&M store and video footage of chanting EFF supporters.

 

H&M South Africa did not respond to a request for comment, but its local website carried an apology for the advertisement.

 

"Our position is simple, we have got this wrong and we are deeply sorry," the apology read.

 

Police said they were monitoring the protests, but that they had made no arrests so far.

 

Protests over perceived corporate wrongdoing have a history of turning violent in South Africa, where some drivers for ride-hailing service Uber have had their vehicles torched over the past year by regular taxi operators.

 

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-01-14

[Somtamnication]

Idiots.

[cornishcarlos]

3 minutes ago, Somtamnication said:

Idiots.

 

Who ? H&M or the protesters :)

[daoyai]

I saw the advert, it is a cute slogan, why do they see it as racist? why did they need to "chimp out" over it?

[FreddieRoyle]

always the same, it's just a sorry excuse to riot and loot. They will start getting a bad reputation if this sort of behaviour keeps up.

[JimmyTheMook]

It all seems very savage.

[JoePai]

Maybe Trump was right with what he said about Africa 

[stevenl]

Was the advert meant to be racist? Most likely not. 

Was it perceived to be racist? Yes.

Should H&M have foreseen this? Yes.

[ChrisY1]

South Africa going the way of many African countries.....animals roaming the streets making trouble.....

Feel very sad for the whites here...no doubt soon to be forced to leave!

[bert bloggs]

dont like the slogan so they behave like it .

[meinphuket]

Over the top crap as usual. I call my (white) son a monkey all the time. What's next, the coloureds will castigate me, and call me a racist because I call my kid a monkey and they consider monkeys to be black ? Get over your past guys, that's what's consistently holding your respective countries back.

[pokerface1]

Coolest monkey in the jungle is certainly no racist when compared to other slogans that could have been used like   Coolest Gollywog In The Jungle. or          Coolest nigger in the jungle or Coolest Nignog in the jungle. We have come a long way in 50 years when these terms were quite acceptable to everyone as far as I can recall.

Would coolest monkey in the city been a better choice of words?

[DoctorG]

The H&M people were stupid for not foreseeing this, but these people are just thugs looking for any excuse. The boy's mother has said she was ok with the top her son modeled.

[stevenl]

2 hours ago, meinphuket said:

Over the top crap as usual. I call my (white) son a monkey all the time. What's next, the coloureds will castigate me, and call me a racist because I call my kid a monkey and they consider monkeys to be black ? Get over your past guys, that's what's consistently holding your respective countries back.

Sad that you don't see the difference between you calling your white son a monkey and this advert.

[Tchooptip]

Here is the culprit, probably no problem had they used a little white blond boy, it would even have been funny wear by any white man. 

[Coconut Kidd]

The kids mom disagrees with the looters......I mean protesters.

 

"Mom of H&M 'Coolest Monkey' ad model slams critics 'crying wolf,' tells them to 'get over it'"

 

http://www.foxnews.com/lifestyle/2018/01/11/mom-h-m-coolest-monkey-ad-model-slams-critics-crying-wolf-tells-them-to-get-over-it.html

[Jingthing]

It was a rather minor public relations gaffe from the company. They withdrew it and apologized. That is certainly enough. There is no rational justification for protests at this point, and unruly protests even more so. If you don't like the company, just don't shop there!

However, all that said, I don't think racial stereotyping based on this small number of protesters is appropriate either.

[maraudingscot]

"The time of apologies for racism are over; there must be consequences to anti-black racism, period!" Ndlozi wrote on Twitter.....

 

Surely. Racism covers all spectres. Or is 'racism' ONLY 'racism' when it covers only one skin type! Which in itself could then be classed as racism!!

to me people are people end if story. Doesn't matter what or where they are from or what gender they want. If your are a nice person then that is good, if you are an a******e then you are!

[MyFriend You]

3 hours ago, Tchooptip said:

Here is the culprit, probably no problem had they used a little white blond boy, it would even have been funny wear by any white man. 

In hindsight, I'll bet H&M designers had wished they had put a picture of an actual monkey on the shirt, then it wouldn't (in my eyes) have ben considered racist, with it definately points to the kid wearing it, who happens to be black.

[timendres]

Given the photo of the protestors, next shirt: Coolest Rhino in the River.

Racist? Sizist? Just call me insensitive and come plunder my place.

[Stargeezr]

Better than Dumbest Monkey in the Jungle. Now that would be insulting.    Are we all getting so sensitive that a few words make mobs of people wreck property and goods of others. Chill out people. Take a breath and look around, is this really worth all the drama and damage. Is the whole world becoming

that intolerant?

Geezer

[halloween]

13 hours ago, Tchooptip said:

Here is the culprit, probably no problem had they used a little white blond boy, it would even have been funny wear by any white man. 

If the model was white, the word would have been 'honkey'.

[bert bloggs]

When i was a kid i remember reading a great book ,"Horrie the <deleted> dog" about some soldiers who adopted the dog ,it was a true story , love to see what would happen if it was on the shelves today .