Louisiana grocer shows up to support Trump insurrection
11th January 2021 · 0 Comments
The Louisiana Weekly
Staff Reports
As a mob of Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol Building last week in an attempt to disrupt the congressional vote certifying the election of Joe Biden, a Louisiana businessman also found himself in the spotlight.
Photos of Donald Rouse Sr., co-owner of Houma-La.-based Rouses Market, and the grocery chain’s former HR Director Steve Galtier in attendance at the Trump rally that resulted in the storming of the Capitol surfaced last week, causing public backlash and a call for answers from the supermarket and Rouse Sr. himself. The photos were posted by Galtier to his Facebook page with a note that they were alongside “millions” of “patriots.”
The rally saw gangs of Trump supporters storming the Capitol, assaulting officers, invading congressional offices and stealing items from the building. The action of the crowd resulted in multiple injuries and some deaths.
In response to the photo, scores of residents and shoppers took to social media to express their outrage and disappointment, some even calling for a boycott of the grocery store chain.
“BOYCOTT ROUSES!!!!! They’re using OUR hard earned BLACK dollars to TRAVEL TO DC to participate in IGNORANCE!!!!!” said @ayannaleeshell on Twitter.
Scott Tilden, a New Orleanian currently living in Florida, vowed to patronize alternate grocer options upon his return to the city. In a Twitter post, Tilden said “#BoycottRouses It saddens me to see this. Rouses was a Bastien [sic] of home for me as a transplant New Orleanian living in FL. But I will find the things I love elsewhere when I come back to the Big Easy. Always NOLA love.”
In a statement, Rouse Sr. confirmed his attendance at the D.C. rally but said that he left before the violence began and denounced the behavior of those involved:
“I attended the rally yesterday as a supporter of the president and to be in our nation’s capital at the close of his presidency. I left before the violence began and was shocked and saddened to see it unfold on TV. I condemn the actions of those who lawfully entered and damaged our hallowed institutions and threatened our public servants. Violence and destruction do not represent our country’s values, or the values of Rouses.
“Though I am no longer involved in the day-to-day operations of Rouses, that’s my family’s name on the building and my actions reflect on my family, Rouses and this community I love so dearly. I’m horrified by the violence and destruction we saw yesterday and the pain it has caused so many. Our country desperately needs to come together to heal, and I will do everything I can to be a part of that process.”
But the apology came too little, too late for some.
District 93 State Representative Royce Duplessis penned an open letter to Rouse expressing his disdain for the violent actions and behaviors of the crowd that attended the rally. In the letter, Duplessis says he was one of the last customers at the Baronne Street location of the store the night of the rally when it was made public that Rouse had attended the rally. There are two Rouses Markets within the bounds of Duplessis’ district.
In his letter, he urged Rouse to better consider the standpoints of his community, the market’s shoppers and its employees, and to be more responsible:
“I have seen your recently published statement. It is inadequate. To suggest that you did not know that such violence would occur is intellectually dishonest. This was not a peaceful protest or a “farewell rally” to Donald Trump. It was a vile and extreme effort to undermine democracy and oppose the peaceful transfer of power, which ultimately led to five (5) deaths. I respect your constitutional rights. I also acknowledge the high likelihood that I patronize other businesses that are owned and operated by individuals who might share your similar political views. However, your enthusiastic involvement in Wednesday’s spectacle is deeply troubling. My family and I have always enjoyed shopping at Rouses. In fact, I have always considered myself fortunate to live near a quality grocery store. Many in the greater New Orleans community are not as fortunate. But just like you have your rights, I also have the right to shop elsewhere.”
Duplessis’ statement went on to say that Rouse’s attendance at the rally has forced him to think of the market’s employees and customers who do not share Rouse’s views but may not have the same options to leave Rouses behind as a place of work or shopping.
“Have you considered how your presence at Wednesday’s insurrection rally might make your employees or customers feel?” Duplessis asked.
Duplessis’ statement also said he couldn’t in good conscience continue to support the grocery chain until “SIGNIFICANT actions to denounce and condemn not only the violence that took place, but also what led to the violence.”
“Your presence at Wednesday’s rally makes you, in large part, responsible for what took place. If you care to regain the trust and support of this community, my suggestion is that you give much more consideration to all of your customers and employees when you engage in such reprehensible political activity.”
Duplessis isn’t the only notable figure to have stepped up to publicly condemn Rouse’s behavior.
Last week, the Krewe of Red Beans announced that it will no longer use Rouse’s Market for it’s Feed the Second Line program.
“The political views of the Rouses family are irrelevant in our decision making process. But, in the actions yesterday, a line was crossed. A line was crossed by Mr. Trump and his supporters – including one Louisiana Senator and five Louisiana Congressional representatives. Every single American must now ask themselves where they stand. We stand with the people of New Orleans.
The organization also said in their statement that they would be returning $20,000 in funding the organization received from the grocery store chain. $15,000 of the funds were to sponsor a custom-designed “float house” as part of the “hire A Mardi Gras Artist” program created to support local artists during the shutdown of 2021’s Carnival season and $5,000 which supported the organization’s Lundi Gras celebration.
This article originally published in the January 11, 2021 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.
