(Molly Bruns, Headline USA) Protests against high-end fashion boutique Balenciaga broke out Saturday in response to the company’s advertisements featuring children holding teddy bears dressed in bondage gear.
According to the Daily Wire, the coordinated protests occurred in 20 cities across the world, including New York, Beverly Hills, London and Nashville.
Pedophiles sign was placed outside the store front of Balenciaga at NorthPark Center in Dallas this week pic.twitter.com/tjC8W3ESx6
— Dallas Texas TV (@DallasTexasTV) December 5, 2022
Organizers slammed the company for sexually exploiting children to promote their brand.
Activist groups Mom Army, Dad Army, Freedom Forever and Gays Against Groomers planned the protests outside of the flagship stores and other outlets that sell the brand, such as Nordstrom.
“We are mothers, we are consumers, and we are taking a stand: stop putting profit over our children,” said Lucy Riles, an organizer with Mom Army.
She said she was “fed up with the sexualization, exploitation, indoctrination, child mutilation, and all these agendas that are happening right now in this country and the climate.”
The France-based brand came under fire last moth after premiering a line of advertisements for its “Toy Stories” campaign, showing child models posing with their signature teddy bear handbags dressed in BDSM gear inspired by its Paris Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2023 collection.
Teddy bears were dressed in fishnet tops, leather harnesses and collars with locks.
The company removed the ads from their site and apologized via Instagram, stating they should have “done things differently.”
“We strongly condemn child abuse,” the statement read. “It was never our intent to include it in our narrative.”
Landon Starbuck, leader of conservative nonprofit known as Freedom Forever and wife of former congressional candidate Robby Starbuck, spoke at the Nashville protest.
“Exploiting children is not fashionable, and that’s why we’re all here today,” she said.
Social-media users have also been posting clips of themselves burning their Balenciaga merchandise since the scandal broke.
Some destroyed thousands of dollars worth of clothing and shoes.
Hoodlums burning their Balenciaga ‼️
pic.twitter.com/3HXHkVTEbr— Hoodlum (@onhoodlum) December 2, 2022
CANCELED!!!
Man burns over $20000 worth of Balenciaga shoes and clothing 🔥
If you wear Balenciaga don’t come around my kids
STAY THE FUCK AWAY FROM OUR KIDS
Balenciaga is FINISHED #BalenciagaGate #BalenciagaGroomers #Balenciaga #BAALenciaga #Balenciagapedos pic.twitter.com/5c8O5zpYw7
— No Truckers No Freedom (@NoTrucks_NoFood) December 1, 2022
Even some members of the mainstream media spoke out against the controversy.
This guy had the guts to speak from the heart about Balenciaga while his gutless co-hosts quaked in fear of having an Unapproved Opinion.
He ripped out his earpiece because he was being told to stop and he didn’t care.
Bravo.pic.twitter.com/YX00YZnN93
— Rob Smith 🇺🇸 (@robsmithonline) December 2, 2022
