(VIDEO & PHOTOS IN EXTENDED ARTICLE)
Members of a South African opposition party stormed into some H&M stores across the country on Saturday to protest a promotional image of a black child wearing a sweatshirt with the words “Coolest monkey in the jungle.”
Local media reports said the Economic Freedom Fighters urged shopping malls to evict the Swedish clothing retailer, which has apologized after an outcry in other countries. People have called the image racist and inappropriate.
Television footage showed clothing in one of the South African stores scattered everywhere.
H&M in South Africa says it had removed the sweatshirt from sale. “We have got this wrong and we are deeply sorry,” a message on its South African website says.
EFF leader Julius Malema said he doesn’t regret taking the action Saturday, the South African Broadcasting Corporation reported.
NBA star LeBron James, rapper Diddy and singer The Weeknd are among the celebrities who expressed shock in recent days over the H&M image, which has been removed from online promotions but continues to be circulated on social media.
(AP)
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18 Responses
Yup. Exactly as the sweatshirt states except nothat that cool!
At least they lived up to the words on the sweatshirt…
The Truth hurts! Look what they did to the store.
GUEST THEY ACTED LIKE A BUNCH OF GORILLAS
Obviously the animal analogy was so completely inaccurate.
I guess they came to prove that he is the “Coolest monkey in the jungle.”
Amazing… Just proving the t-shirt correct.
Reminiscent of the protest of arabs against portraying Mohamed as a terrorist…
Don’t they get it? – it’s not there to insult because it would be a loss! it’s only there because they think someone will like it! if you think it’s bad then don’t buy and they’ll pull it off the shelf with a loss! how thick does the head have to be…
In 2014 there were no riots trashing stores when a items offensive to Jews were displayed (simple complaint removed the items). Do these rioters understand that their behaviour has legitimized Trump’s comments about Africa?
Best way to protest being likened to an animal … is to act like one?
They just proved the point! But I wouldn’t say cutest.
Can’t coolest.
Who was the genius who thought of that slogan?
H&M truly didn’t mean any kind of racial slur, but surely any protest against portraying blacks as monkeys in a jungle loses all credibility when the protesters act like… you guessed it, monkeys in a jungle!
Grow up.
The comments stating or implying that the violent protest against an arguably racist insult proves the truth of the insult are disgraceful. I wonder how many of those commenters have praise for the frum Jew who assassinated PM and war hero Yitzchak Rabin.
I personally favor non-violent protests, but some insults are so egregious that a violent reaction is appropriate. No one was killed or injured, no one was assaulted, and no merchandise was stolen.
The Swedish are beginning to make a habit of getting it wrong!
+1 @huju the fact that SOME people (with black skin) decided to ransack a store doesn’t mean that the sweatshirt isn’t offensive and doesn’t mean that the sweatshirt’s slogan has been proven legitimate in any way.
@chadgadya, you can’t see where they’re coming from? Like if a kid with a yarmulke would be featured on their site with a slogan like “rolling in dough” or “coolest pig in the sty” or something like that?
If in that case some crazies ransacked the store, would you like the general population to say, “Oh, so they (meaning all, not just those responsible for ransacking) really are a bunch of pigs / spoiled rich people / etc.”?