The Black community in Peckcham Black, a district in south-east London, UK, has refused to shop at a hair store after the shopkeeper was filmed “strangling” a Black woman customer.
Peckham Hair and Cosmetics, based on Rye Lane, was hit by the mass boycott after footage emerged online of a shopkeeper “strangling” a Black woman as she tried to exit the store, reports The Voice UK.
Sindho, who owns the once popular hair store, is reportedly now “destitute”, but many on social media are deeply sceptical about this claim.
Sindho told the Daily Mirror:
“This is going to pass and I’m going to make much more money than I did in this shop, and I’ve built 45 shops before in this market, everybody knows me. Once my family is safe and settled I am going to open another hair shop and these people are going to buy the same stuff from the same shop.”
The troubling footage was shared to social media on Sept. 11 and it shows an unnamed woman who allegedly went to the store to refund hair extensions at the hair shop.
It was claimed her request was refused and she was seen being dragged into the store by a South Asian man who had his hand around her neck and her arms pinned behind her.
The distressed woman cries out for others to look and for someone to record the chaos.
She repeatedly shouted: “Call the police, call the police! Call the f***king police! Call the f***king police…This man just strangled me, this man just strangled me. Get the f**k off me.”
The 31-year-old woman was allegedly attempting to steal items before the altercation, the police said.
The woman was arrested on suspicion of assault and later bailed pending further enquiries.
The footage was circulated widely on social media including by Black femicide charity, For Black Women UK and Sistah Space. Hundreds are calling for the unnamed man to be arrested and charged.
