Protest at Clicks stores to continue despite court interdict, says EFF

08 September 2020 - 12:14 By Ernest Mabuza
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Members of the EFF protest outside a Clicks branch in Johannesburg. The EFF said protests will continue despite a court order interdicting its members from intimidating Clicks employees and visitors to the stores.
Members of the EFF protest outside a Clicks branch in Johannesburg. The EFF said protests will continue despite a court order interdicting its members from intimidating Clicks employees and visitors to the stores.
Image: Picture: REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko

The EFF said on Tuesday the protest action at Clicks stores by its members will continue despite a court order interdicting its members from intimidating Clicks employees and customers.

The EFF said its actions had been characterised by peaceful protest across all outlets. It said to voice dissatisfaction with the violence of racism in the form of a picket did not constitute violence.

“Essentially Clicks has lost in its attempt to interdict the protest action of the EFF as the interdict issued by the court does not speak to the protests being undertaken by the EFF across the country.”

The EFF said its interactions with customers and employees had been peaceful.

The party advised law enforcement officers to read the court order carefully and appropriately to avoid infringing on its constitutional right to demonstrate.

“We will continue to protest across all Clicks outlets until September 11. This is to ensure that Clicks, which values profits over the dignity of black people in this country feels the consequences of undermining the identity of black people, and presenting whiteness as the standard for beauty.”

EFF deputy president Floyd Shivambu, who was protesting outside the Clicks Sandton store, said protests will continue.

“We are protesting in all Clicks stores. We have not intimidated anyone. We have not intimidated staff members. We have not intimidated clients,” Shivambu told SABC news after the court order.

He said it was protesting to ensure no business was conducted in Clicks stores.

“The court order is interdicting things we are not doing. The protest is not prohibited. It is not interdicted. The protest continues in the manner it is. We have got the constitutional right to protest against racism,” Shivambu said.

Shivambu said the court order did not stop the EFF's protest action to hold Clicks accountable.

“We are not going to interrupt anyone. We are not going to assault anyone. We are not going to do anything unlawful. We have a constitutional right to protest anywhere we want to protest in SA.”

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