Summarised by Centrist
Former Dunedin mayor Aaron Hawkins had an unexpected confrontation at a local supermarket over a flag of Palestine. Carrying a rolled-up flag, Hawkins was asked to leave it at customer services, which led to a bit of a standoff.
Hawkins claims he was barred from entering a Dunedin supermarket, with his 8 year old son, while carrying a rolled-up flag of Palestine.
According to Hawkins, staff told him the flag posed an “intimidation risk,” prompting him to leave without shopping. Hawkins took to social media, stating he wasn’t looking to cause trouble but felt this level of response was unwarranted, especially as he was shopping with his young child.
“This level of blanket censorship — including of families just shopping for dinner — feels like a disproportionate response,” he wrote on a social media post.
However, the supermarket’s side of the story differs. A spokesman for Foodstuffs said Hawkins wasn’t barred but was simply asked to leave the flag at customer services. Hawkins chose to leave instead. The incident has stirred up debate online, with some expressing disappointment and even boycotting the store.
Hawkins acknowledged that while he is welcome to return, he still isn’t clear on why the flag was such an issue. Marches for peace in Palestine have been taking place in Dunedin’s Octagon every Saturday since the war began last October.
