Jewish protesters demonstrated outside a South African chain store in Cape Town to condemn boycott, divestment and sanctions demonstrations that they say have turned anti-Semitic.
The South African Jewish Board of Deputies umbrella body staged the protest Oct. 30 against the Congress of South African Students’ Western Cape branch. It was held outside the Sea Point store, part of the national Woolworths chain.
The rally was in response to the placement of a pig’s head in what was thought to be the store’s kosher refrigerators the previous week by COSAS.
Protesters bore placards reading “Free speech not hate speech” to highlight rising anti-Semitism and persecution of minorities, according to the daily Cape Times. COSAS said its action was in protest of the store continuing to stock Israeli goods in the wake of this summer’s Israel-Gaza conflict .
News24.com reported that the African National Congress, the country’s ruling party, has “expressed concern” at COSAS’ action. Said deputy secretary-general Jessie Duarte,“Our calls for solidarity with the people of Palestine and for heightened action to boycott and isolate Israel is not a call or a campaign against Judaism, nor is it anti-Semitic,” she said. — jta