Jewish Comunity says NO to hate:

Yesterday at noon, the South African Jewish community held a protest outside the Seapoint Woolworths against the placing of a pig's-head by COSAS, in what was assumed to be the kosher section of the shop. Keeping to a limit of 50 people as required for the permit to hold the demonstration, the Jewish community stood shoulder to shoulder, wearing t-shirts with the words by Nelson Mandela "South Africa belongs to all who live in it" emblazoned on them. Waving South African flags, they held placards that read, inter alia: "Free Speech Not Hate Speech", "Proudly South African, Proudly Jewish", and "Say no to Antisemitism".

Wendy Kahn, National Director read a strong message to the crowd and the media, saying that

"We gather here as fellow South Africans to express outrage against all forms of hate. What happened here exactly a week ago with a pig's head being smuggled in a baby's pram and placed in a fridge that was assumed to contain kosher meat shows a vicious and vulgar hatred that cannot be tolerated by South Africans in our country. Every South African citizen that cherishes our democracy should be horrified by this incident. In the words of Nelson Mandela, ‘SA belongs to all how live in it'. Hatred against any minority group does not end there. It needs to be stamped out now."

The crowd chanted "No to Hate", while cars passing by in the Main Street, hooted in approval. The SAJBD has lodged a complaint with the SA Human Rights Commission against the perpetrators.

Issued by the SA Jewish Board of Deputies, October 31 2014

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