H&M Stores Ransacked Over ‘Racist’ Ad

Late last week, H&M (Stockholm) sparked outrage due to a graphic on one of its children’s hoodies, which was perceived as portraying racist undertones.

In response to the product ad, which carried the slogan “coolest monkey in the jungle” and was pictured on the retailer’s website on a black child, protesters in South Africa with the Economic Freedom Fighters (EEF) ransacked six stores in the Gauteng province Saturday, throwing clothing and tearing down displays, reports Reuters. Police dispersed crowds by firing rubber bullets.

H&M South Africa issued the following apology on its website shortly after the ad initially caught the ire of social media: “Our position is simple, we have got this wrong and we are deeply sorry.” Spokesman for the EFF, Mbuyiseni Ndlozi, responded on Twitter implying an apology was not sufficient.