Hon Speaker, recent actions by the Boycott Divestment Sanctions movement against Woolworths' stores should be criminalised as they are provoking confrontations, sowing seeds of hatred, and fostering religious and racial division. The blatant abuse and intimidation by BDS, particularly of Woolworths' shoppers, was despicable.
The ACDP commends Woolworths for refusing to bow to BDS' pressure and for protecting the rights of their customers to find what they need in their stores, including kosher food. Similarly, protest action by the Congress of SA Students, Cosas, this past Sunday morning at Woolworths in Sea Point, where a pig's head was placed in the kosher meal section, was grossly insensitive and intolerant. This should be condemned by all South Africans who believe that the rights of all religious groups in our country should be respected.
If this shameful intolerance is not condemned, then we may see copycats also placing pigs' heads in sections dedicated to kosher or halaal food elsewhere, with serious consequences. While the ACDP fully supports the right to peaceful demonstrations or protests, we also support the right of those who do not want to protest. We were disturbed by the fact that the BDS movement and Cosas mobilised schoolchildren to participate in the political, anti-Israel agenda when they should rather be encouraging students to prepare for their final examinations.
The ACDP calls on both BDS and Cosas to help focus our students on their studies and to stop using them to advance their nefarious political agenda, inspired by hatred for the nation of Israel. Thank you. [Applause.]