Deurne (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Someone placed BDS protest stickers saying “This item funds genocide” on products at Colruyt Deurne. Colruyt denied involvement, removed stickers, and won’t file a complaint. No damage reported.
As VRT News reported, at the Colruyt store on Ruggeveldlaan in Deurne, someone put stickers on products. The stickers said,
“This item funds genocide.”
They also showed the website of the BDS movement. BDS asks people to stop buying goods linked to Israel.
Shoppers and workers saw the stickers and were surprised. The person behind the stickers likely wanted to protest against Israel. The message asked people to boycott certain items. This happened during normal shopping hours.
What does the BDS sticker protest at Colruyt mean?
The BDS movement began in 2005 with Palestinian groups. It wants people to put peaceful pressure on Israel. Officials mentioned that the goal is to make Israel follow international rules and respect Palestinian rights. BDS asks people not to buy from Israeli companies.
The movement wants governments to take action too. Many people around the world support BDS. Some people do not agree with it. They say it only goes against Israel and can cause hate. Others think it is a fair protest. The stickers in the Colruyt store in Deurne are part of this protest.
Following the sticker incident in Deurne, Colruyt responded. The supermarket states that it is aware there are individuals who are troubled by what is happening in Gaza and in Israel, and it understands that certain groups want to demonstrate this concern by pointing to certain products and companies that include products sold in their stores.
Colruyt said it respects that people have different opinions. But it also explained that the store follows national and international rules when it buys and sells goods. The products on their shelves meet all legal standards. Colruyt made it clear that its choices are based on rules, not on political views.
Colruyt said it does not know who put the stickers on the products. The supermarket clearly stated that it was not involved in this action and does not support this way of protest inside its stores. Since nothing was broken or damaged, the store will not file a complaint.
For now, the stickers were only found in the Deurne store. There are no reports of the same thing happening in other Colruyt locations. The company is taking the matter seriously, but will not do more than remove the stickers.
In 2014, in several supermarkets across Europe, including in Belgium, activists placed boycott stickers on products made in Israel or linked to Israeli companies. These stickers were part of a wider campaign by BDS supporters during a time of heightened conflict in Gaza.
In some stores, activists also rearranged shelves to group Israeli products together and make them more visible to shoppers. The actions drew mixed reactions; some supported the protest, while others, including store owners, said political messages did not belong in supermarkets.
