Protesters target Country Road’s flagship Chapel St store

Protesters have targeted Country Road’s flagship Chapel St store, after staff were gagged from speaking out over the sexual assault scandal that has rocked the fashion brand.

Protesters have targeted Country Road’s flagship Chapel St store early Wednesday afternoon, plastering the front doors shut with makeshift signs saying “stop the cover ups”. 

Hundreds of printed A4 pieces of papers with words like ‘Listen To Women’, ‘Is Harassment Part of A Modern Australian Lifestyle’ and ‘End NDAs were hastily taped across the shop front windows.’

Confused shoppers and pedestrians were shocked to see the commotion, with customers let through a side door by security.

Two members of Victoria Police attended the scene at 1:50pm after calls were made from the shop’s retail managers who were inside the store.

“Take a look for yourself, it is what it is,” said one policeman photographing the act of vandalism.

Clearly shaken, the store’s assistants said they could not comment on the matter.

Police arrive at the Chapel St store. Picture: David Caird

The incident left Store assistants shaken. Picture: David Caird

The multi-storeyed store on the corner of Toorak Rd and Chapel St is one of the highest profile retail sites in Melbourne and the gateway to the retail shopping precinct.

It comes as the boss of Country Road Group’s parent company has gagged staff from speaking out over the sexual assault scandal that has rocked the fashion brand.

In an email to staff on Tuesday morning, Roy Bagattini, the executive director and group chief executive of Country Road’s parent company Woolworths Holdings, expressed disappointment the crisis had been made public and ordered staff not to speak with media.

“You are no doubt aware that some of our team members have pre-emptively engaged with the media and this has resulted in various speculative news reports,” he said.

Police on the scene at Country Rd in Chapel St.

“The external attention on our company, through these news articles, can be unsettling and comes at a difficult time for yourselves but also for us as a company.

The Herald Sun revealed on Monday two legal firms have been appointed to investigate the handling of sexual assault allegations by Country Road after multiple allegations by males and females were filed against former senior executive Rachid Maliki.

Multiple allegations were filed against former senior executive Rachid Maliki.

Staff have accused the fashion brand, and chief executive Raju Vuppalapati, of what they see as a cover-up over Mr Maliki’s conduct, amid allegations of the repeated harassment of staff members including unsolicited touching and kissing.

Formal complaints were first lodged in October last year, but whistleblower staff have accused Mr Vuppalapati of protecting his friend, and former colleague at RM Williams, Mr Maliki.

Mr Maliki, who had been in the senior role since August 2022, had previously worked as a general manager at RM Williams while Mr Vuppalapati was chief executive of the shoe retailer.

Multiple sources said Mr Maliki faced similar allegations while at RM Williams.