Home Depot pulls spooled rope over noose incidents

ATLANTA — Home Depot has temporarily removed spooled rope from the aisles of its stores, after a string of reports from customers who found rope fashioned into nooses. “Unfortunately, we’ve had some instances where spooled rope was used to create hate symbols and we’re not going to tolerate it,” spokesperson Margaret Watters Smith said in a statement. “Out of an abundance of caution, we temporarily removed spooled rope from our aisles.” Instead, shorter measures of pre-cut rope will be offered in plastic packaging, with store associates on hand to assist with custom lengths. Nooses have been increasingly spotted in the U.S. in the midst of backlash against the wave of protests for racial justice this year.