Walmart in Canada has come under fire after it was busted selling ‘All Lives Matter’ T-shirts online.
The range also included ‘Irish Lives Matter’, ‘Bartender Lives Matter’ and ‘Blue Lives Matter’ which is apprently a nod to police officers.
However, it was the ‘All Lives Matter’ – a slogan that’s been linked to white supremacists – that caused most of the fury.
Backlash to the T-shirts erupted on social media, users criticising the retailer for making light of and being insenstive to the Black Lives Matter movement, which has come to symbolise a call to action against racism and police killings of black people.
The T-shirts were being sold online by Walmart.com and Walmart Canada online, however, Canadian media is reporting that they were removed as of yesterday following the backlash.
And social media users weren’t impressed. “It’s simple, they’re racist, get rid of them,” tweeted one person.
“Seriously? Whomever thought this was a good idea did not consult with the PR department,” wrote another.
“Disgusting @WalmartCanada take this off of your racks,” tweeted another.
While another added: “It’s quite disingenuous to advocate and support Black Lives Matter at the same time as the company sells ‘All Lives Matter’ shirts.”
Walmart blamed a third-party seller for the garments and also added that it was selling ‘Black Lives Matter’ T-shirts, too.
A spokesperson of the retailer telling CBC: “We stand against any form of racism or discrimination. We promote listening, seeking to understand and embracing individual differences.
“Today, our third-party marketplace has a number of items with variations on the phrase ‘lives matter.’ We will continue to review those items to ensure compliance with our terms and conditions.”
It’s not the first time that Walmart in Canada has been in strife over inappropriate fashion items. Last December it was busted selling festive jumpers that appeared to show Santa Claus doing lines of cocaine.
