A BUSINESS in North Wales has defended its decision to display an “anti-woke” flag outside its new headquarters, despite facing criticism.
Net World Sports (international sports equipment provider), which recently established its new base in Wrexham and employs over 200 staff in the city, has come under fire for displaying a “Woke Free Zone” flag at its headquarters.
A local resident who wishes to stay anonymous expressed discontent with the flag, stating it conveyed a “complete lack of inclusivity” and deemed it “offensive”.
The local resident said: “I am utterly disgusted to find that a local business within my community is promoting a Woke Free Zone. I find this deeply offensive and the fact they are highlighting this with a flag outside the building shows a complete lack of morals and inclusivity.
“I would be very disappointed to find that anyone would affiliate with such a business who has an obvious lack of ethnic, racial and sexual minority awareness and understanding.”
According to the company’s founder and CEO Alex Lovén, the flag reflects the company’s stance against woke culture.
The resident was surprised that the company’s HR department would support what they saw as blatant discrimination.
In response to the criticism, CEO Lovén defended the flag, saying: “It’s more than reasonable to question the value of the cloak of wokeness that has enveloped all parts of society from education to mainstream media.”
He added: “The qualities and values we promote and develop in young people are confidence, taking ownership, independent thought, communication, teamwork, decency, dividends of hard work and finally resilience.
“We are sure anyone reading this will at least concur to some extent that these are not things which are overflowing in youngsters of today. Our sole objective is it give young people the skills they need to flourish. The question that we must ask is, as a country are we failing young people?”
He also raised doubts about whether the “woke narrative” contributes positively to the development of young people, highlighting that it would be insincere for the company to say otherwise if they don’t believe in it.
The term “woke” originated in the 1940s within the African American community, signifying an awakening to justice issues.
However, over the last decade, it has evolved to encompass a broader awareness of social inequalities, including racial justice, sexism, and LGBTQ+ rights.
Despite its original intent, the term has taken on a negative connotation, particularly among those on the right, who use it as a critique of individuals perceived as being “overly sensitive” to these issues.
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