A group planning to protest at the sold-out Pharrell Williams concert in Cape Town on Monday will be going ahead after Sun International launched an urgent court interdict against the pro-Palestine group, to limit the number of people who are planning to protest outside the singer’s concert in Cape Town next week.

Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions against Israel in South Africa (BDS) has welcomed the decision by organisers of the Pharrell Williams concert to withdraw a court application against the organisation.

According to a press statement released by the BDS on Tuesday the group is planning one of the largest protests on Monday 21 September from 15:00 at Grand West Casino where Pharrell Williams is expected to perform.

The matter was meant to be heard today but BDS South Africa’s spokesperson Kwara Kekana says the company has made an about turn.

“For us it’s not only a Palestine victory but it’s a victory for freedom of expression.”

It is the latest salvo in a flurry of court action threatening to overshadow the Grand West concert.

The ANC, ANC Women’s League, Cosatu, SACP and Cosas vowed to support the protest.

Williams is collaborating with Woolworths on its “Are You with Us?” campaign, unwittingly courting the ire of BDS, which wants Woolworths to cut ties with Israel.

GrandWest applied for a court interdict preventing BDS from encouraging more than 150 protesters outside the venue.

However BDS coordinator Muhammad Desai said that they are expecting around forty to fifty thousand protestors on Monday.

City spokesman Priya Reddy said the activists were within their rights to approach the courts.

“The city did not deny them the right to protest but we did not grant them the 50000 they wanted because they are going to protest along a road reserve and there are many restrictions,” she said.

BDS South Africa has previously written a five-page letter to Williams urging the artist to cancel his Israeli gig plans and delay his collaboration with Woolworths till it ends its Israeli trade. BDS South Africa even offered to fly and meet with Pharrell Williams to discuss the issue.

Williams has refused to respond to the letter and refused to meet.

www.bdssouthafrica.com/post/letter-to-pharrell-williams-17-june-2015