MEAWW.COM / NEWS / HUMAN INTEREST

#BoycottCostco trends as Palmetto Cheese pulled from stores after founder slammed BLM as 'terror organization'

Palmetto Cheese owner Brian Buck Henry took to Facebook to denounce BLM after protesters shot down White people

Shoppers are threatening to boycott Costco, an American multinational firm, over its decision to remove popular Palmetto Cheese from 120 of it stores in the country after the founder of the dairy company slammed Black Lives Matter as a "terror organization." Shortly after the wholesale corporation's move, hashtag #boycottcostco began trending on Twitter on Wednesday, September 23, as many slammed Costco for removing a product made in America from its shelves. There were many who also slammed the company for stifling free speech.

One user wrote: "I live in the Palmetto state -- South Carolina. As a 30-year Executive member of @Costco I find Costco's knee-jerk action absurd. Founder should have kept his opinions to himself. Facebook is a double-edged sword. Palmetto's founder hoist with his own petard." While another said: "@palmettocheese I shop at Costco and unfamiliar with your product. However, I just became a customer of yours. 1) Cheese looks good 2) We don't hurt people in this country because of their political opinions. Comments were blunt but not racist. #boycottcostco." A third added: "We don’t shop at Costco to be indoctrinated by social wokeness. Sell food, not politics. Guess we’ll go to Sams #boycottcostco #BuyPalmettoCheese."

A fourth user wrote: "Ordering a bunch a #palmettocheese and will #boycottcostco #Costco should not have gotten involved in this matter!" Another added: "Shame on you @Costco I've been a loyal customer for nearly 20 years & will not shop there any more. I'll be buying @palmettocheese & all my groceries needs else where. #boycottcostco you're acting just like #BLMTerroristThugs."

Palmetto Cheese owner Brian Buck Henry also confirmed that his brand of cheese was being removed from Costco, however, he attempted to downplay the firm's decision. Henry, while talking to The Post and Courier, said: "Costco rotates items in and out during the course of the year. They will occasionally add and drop products as a matter of normal business. We remain optimistic that Palmetto Cheese will be back on the shelves in the not too distant future." Costco has not yet publicly commented on its decision to remove Palmetto Cheese from its stores.

The corporation's move came after initial calls of boycott for the dairy company over Henry's comments, however, as news broke of their popular cheese being removed from Costco's shelves, some customers became enraged. The controversy began after Henry, last month, took to his Facebook page and decried the shooting of "2 white people defenselessly gunned down by a black man." The dairy company owner, who is White, wrote: "So why do we stand by and allow BLM to lawlessly destroy great American cities and threaten their citizens on a daily basis. Should they have a carde blanche license to pillage and destroy. Why? This has gone too far. Rise up, America. This BLM and Antifa movement must be treated like the terror organizations they are."

He further added: "All lives matter. There I said it. So am I a racist now? I think not. How about the POS who just gunned down three defenseless white people? You be the judge."