photo by Daria Kucher
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In Lviv, residents gathered for a peaceful rally because the French network «Auchan» continues to operate in Russia. In protest, activists came to one of the company’s stores located in Lviv on Chornovola Avenue. Similar actions took place near other locations in the city.
As public activist Anna Herych told Lviv Now during the stream, this is a peaceful action, not a mass one. Residents do not intend to call for a boycott of Auchan supermarkets or to be aggressive. At the same time, they want to emphasize that sitting on two chairs during the war is unacceptable as well as making business on blood.
«Auchan does not control where he pays his taxes, paying them to the Russian treasury. That’s more than $150 million a year. In fact, they finance the Russian army and weapons, which then fly to civilians,» – she said.
Read also: Lviv officials compiled a list of russian digital products which should be boycotted
According to her, more than 30,000 people have been employed by the company in Russia over the past 20 years. And although the CEO of Auchan Yves Claude said the day before that the company does not leave the Russian market because it ensures the livelihood of civilians, Ukrainian civilians fall under «not peaceful missiles» when they go to Auchan for bread.
Activists in Lviv explain that they do not oppose the leadership of the network in Ukraine today, but instead urge them to join. Similar events were held in some Polish cities with the participation of Ukrainians who were forced to move there, as well as citizens of this country.
It will be recalled that Auchan Ukraine employees addressed the citizens with a statement explaining that the General Directorate and all 5,500 employees of the network were waiting for a different position of the head office in France. However, Auchan is currently in Russia, and Auchan Ukraine is currently accused of supporting it. At the same time, Auchan Ukraine employees have tried to influence the parent company’s decision and continue to do so. Still, they cannot change the head office’s decision.
The statement also said that if Auchan closes in Ukraine, 15,000 Ukrainians, employees and their families may find themselves without means of subsistence, and the state budget will lose more than a billion hryvnias in taxes a year.
As of March 16, more than 200 Western companies have completely left the Russian market.
Olga Koval, Translated by Vitalii Holich
Video and photo by Daria Kucher
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Lviv Now is an English-language website for Lviv, Ukraine’s «tech-friendly cultural hub.» It is produced by Tvoe Misto («Your City») media-hub, which also hosts regular problem-solving public forums to benefit the city and its people.