Woolworths realised it was facing its own version of the mythological hydra when it called on police to arrest four protesters - three men and a woman - at its outlet in Cavendish mall, Cape Town, last Sunday.
A movement calling itself the Boycott Woolworths Brigade - a collection of pro-Palestinian groups and "concerned Woolworths customers and shareholders" - staged in-store protests and till-jams at Woolworths branches around the country last weekend and promised to intensify their actions this week.
Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions South Africa (BDS) - the umbrella group that had organised and co-ordinated earlier protest action against which Woolworths had sought a court interdict - has apparently complied with a ruling to scale back its protest action in stores. The recent protests have now fallen under a new banner.
The charges laid against the arrested protesters included intimidation, trespassing and contravention of a court order. But Qaaim Moyeni, spokesman for the Boycott Woolworths Brigade, said BDS had nothing to do with last weekend's protests, and the court's decision could not prevent other organisations from protesting against Woolworths' continued trade relations with Israel.
Groups involved included the National Coalition 4 Palestine and Action Forum 4 Palestine.
Moyeni said this posed a problem for the brigade because no decision had been taken on how to deal with the arrests or pay for attorneys.
"The action was taken by some independent people, individuals, some from other groups, so it hasn't been discussed. This is not the first time Woolworths has taken such action with protesters - such an extreme response instead of talking to us. They did it to BDS people, and now with us.
"We're just concerned customers and shareholders. If someone is protesting in a nonviolent way, you deal with them in a nonviolent way. You don't throw them in jail for standing up for peace," Moyeni said.
He claimed Woolworths was damaging its brand by doing so.
The company's response was unequivocal.
"It has been business as usual for Woolworths. We have seen short-lived and isolated protests outside a few stores. No Woolworths stores closed as a result of the protests over the weekend. We have continued to work with local authorities to protect the rights of our customers and our employees during the isolated protests," a spokesperson said.
BDS's Muhammed Desai said various organisations approached the group to say they would proceed with protest action and that the court order could not stop them.
"We cannot stop them either. But we've made it clear to both these groups and Woolworths that we will be respecting the court order in letter as well as in spirit."
Desai said Woolworths had an easy option of reconsidering a relatively small R12-million trade contract with Israeli companies that dealt mostly in fresh produce that could be sourced locally or in "more friendly countries".
"As long as the trade relationship continues, the campaign will continue," he said.
Moyeni said till-jams, marches and other nonviolent protests would intensify.
"These are allies of BDS who formed this movement. There are people all over who want to pressure Woolworths to end its trade with Israel.
"We are trying to create awareness. We are disappointed that a South African company is trading with an apartheid state like Israel, which is flouting international laws.
"Our view is that we have an obligation - more than any other country - to make sure whoever is experiencing what we experienced is helped," Moyeni said.
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