ASDA are disgracefully selling a wearable flag which resembles a Ku Klux Klan costume. It is white and has a pointed hood with an England flag on the back of it.
It has been pointed out to ASDA that a product they are stocking is offensive and racist but they have refused to stop selling it, have not apologised and have defended their decision to sell it. The flag which is like a cape is sold folded in a packet and described as a wearable England flag. On their website there is no photo showing what it looks like unfolded so it is misleading. Customers on purchasing it discovered that it is white with a pointed hood and resembles the attire of the Ku Kluk Klan. Despite this being pointed out to them they have refused to stop stocking it or even acknowledge the concerns raised.
The Ku Kluk Klan also known as 'The Hooded Order' are a racist, far right group founded in the USA in 1865, who believe in white supremacy and white nationalism. When the Civil Rights Movement developed in the USA during the 1950s and 60s they attacked, abused, tortured, bombed and murdered African American people, targetting those who were campaigning against segregation and for equal rights. They wear white robes and pointed hoods to hide their identity when carrying out their racist attacks and it is this attire that ASDA's wearable flag resembles.
Although the products were aimed at football fans ASDA should have considered that far right, fascist and racist groups in England have adopted the England flag as a symbol and whilst this is wrong, it was likely that they would be attracted to the wearable flag given it ressembles the attire of a well known far right, racist and fascist group like the Ku Kluk Klan.
Therefore it is shocking that the garments being sold by ASDA even passed production. It is of great concern that ASDA appear to have no robust equality proofing system of their products before they go on sale, that nobody considered the way they appear could cause offence, that they have misled customers by not demonstrating what the product would look like when worn, that they have completely disregarded customers concerns and complaints and have refused to stop stocking them.
When concerns were raised that the flag resembled a Ku Kluk Klan outfit a spokeswoman for ASDA said 'we know there's chatter on twitter, but it's simply a flag with a hood, nothing more, nothing less'. this blatant disregard for concerns is disrespectful, insensitive and irresponsible.
We call on ASDA to stop stocking these wearable flags in their current form, to apologise for the offence they have caused, to refund customers who have been misled into purchasing the offensive items and to ensure equality proofing of their products in future.
We set up the petition in order to put pressure on ASDA to stop selling the offensive item on Saturday 31 May. By the same evening ASDA announced that individual store managers could refused to stock the item if they thought it would offend customers or if they received complaints. So there's now an acknowledgment that there is a problem with the product but it's irresponsible of ASDA to leave it up to individual managers to decide when they could recall the item and stop selling it at all.
Please sign the petition using the link above or click on the following link: http://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/andy-clarke-ceo-asda-ban-the-asda-ku-kluk-klan-style-wearable-flag
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