Pro-Palestinian activists stage symbolic boycott action at Carrefour store near Paris over Gaza war

Pro-Palestinian activists staged a symbolic boycott action inside a Carrefour supermarket in the Paris region, placing shopping carts filled with food and household products across the store alongside messages expressing support for Gaza.

The activists, whose actions were followed exclusively by Anadolu on Thursday, attached signs to the carts that read “Please send to Gaza now,” referring to the controversy surrounding packages allegedly sent to Israeli soldiers by Carrefour’s Israeli franchise partner in 2023.

Some of the posters inside the carts had images crossed out, presumably in an attempt to draw customers’ attention to the humanitarian situation in Gaza and ongoing boycott campaigns against the French retail chain.

The carts were positioned in several aisles and near checkout areas as shoppers looked on. No major incidents were reported during the actions.

Carrefour has faced repeated boycott calls in several countries since the start of Israel’s war on Gaza. Pro-Palestinian groups have criticized the company over its partnership with Israeli franchise operators after images circulated in October 2023 showing packages distributed to Israeli soldiers.

Though the French retailer later said the initiative had been carried out solely by its local Israeli partner and not by Carrefour headquarters, the issue fueled widespread boycott campaigns on social media platforms across parts of Europe and the Arab world.

Thursday’s protest comes amid growing civic mobilization linked to the Gaza conflict, as boycott calls against companies accused of supporting Israel directly or indirectly continue to expand across Europe.