‘We reiterate our call and urge action around the world. Palestine is under attack – and Palestine is resisting, on the path of Intifada. It is the time to act! Take to the streets…intensify the boycott.’ Call to action from Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, 8 July 2014.
On Tuesday 15 July, hundreds of people held a defiant, inspiring protest, marching through Newcastle’s city centre targeting businesses that support the Zionist state of Israel.
The day started with over 600 people rallying at Grey’s Monument in Newcastle to speak out against Israel’s bombing of Gaza. Fight Racism! Fight Imperialism! (FRFI) supporters joined the demonstration. The rally was advertised as a ‘Vigil for Gaza’ and was jointly organised by Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Stop the War, Labour2Palestine and Friends of Al-Aqsa. The demo was addressed by a list of speakers. FRFI spoke to many amongst the crowd who wanted to take more action, particularly as the vigil was being held next to a branch of HSBC, a bank involved in underwriting the Israeli state budget. At the end of the official rally FRFI initiated an open-microphone which people spoke on, with one person calling on the crowd to take action by targeting businesses that support the Zionist state of Israel.
In an amazing show of strength hundreds of people marched up Northumberland Street to Marks & Spencer chanting ‘Boycott M&S! They support terrorists!’ and ‘Free! Free! Palestine!’ M&S is Britain’s biggest corporate sponsor of Israel and a company that supports the occupation and colonisation of Palestine ideologically as well as economically.
A dozen people were able to rush into M&S before security guards and police moved to block the entrance, in a clear demonstration of whose interests they really represent. The protest moved off to Starbucks (Howard Schultz, chief executive, is an active Zionist and open propagandist for Israel), then McDonalds (donates to right-wing Zionist organisations Jewish United Fund and Jewish Federation), then charged into Eldon Square to Boots (stocks Estee Lauder cosmetics, whose chairman Ronal Lauder, chairman of the Jewish National Fund, works to legitimise Israeli occupation), about 60 people managed to get in before police blocked the entrance. When protestors emerged again a rally was held in the middle of Northumberland Street with an open mic which people took up to chant and speak. The protest then moved to another Boots store near the Monument where the road was temporarily blocked and Boots was forced to close half an hour early.
For video footage of the action click here.
Dipu Ahad, Labour Councillor for Elswick (West End of Newcastle), was allowed to speak at the vigil. Yet during the rolling picket of high street shops that support Zionism, he came to tell people to stop the protest and to go home. He had the arrogance and audacity to say, ‘This is harming the Palestinian people’. The Labour Party has always supported Israel. With the 2 November 1917 Balfour Declaration the British government announced its intention to establish a Jewish National Home in Palestine. The British Labour Party and Trade Union Congress swiftly endorsed the Balfour Declaration. Israel’s first president Chaim Weizmann remarked that Labour ‘in their pro-Zionist enthusiasm, went far beyond our intentions’ in throwing Palestinian Arabs off the land. In 2009 during Israel’s Operation Cast lead assault on Gaza which left over 1,400 dead, Labour Prime Minister Gordon Brown offered assistance to Israel in monitoring Gaza’s borders and support from the British Navy. In April 2014 Labour leader Ed Miliband visited Tel Aviv and spoke of his ‘deep sense of gratitude to Israel.’
The lesson from the protest was that there are waves of people who are more than prepared to take effective, militant and inspiring action which has the potential to end British support for Israel and Zionism.
If you want to join that kind of movement and be part of the type of resistance the Palestinian people are calling for then come to these upcoming events (see below), share your ideas and we will support you:
THURSDAY (17th July) – 6:30pm @ Broadacre House, Market Street, City Centre, NE1 6HQ:
Public Meeting: Palestine is under attack – how can we end British support for Israel?
What is happening in Palestine? What has war in Palestine got to do with austerity in Britain? How can we end British support for Israel? Please join us for this important meeting.
For more information click here.
Facebook event: PUBLIC MEETING: Palestine is under attack – how can we end British support for Israel?
If you can’t get to London for the National Protest against the Israeli embassy this Saturday, we are calling on people to take action locally:
SATURDAY (19th July) – 12noon outside Marks & Spencer on Northumberland Street, City Centre:
Picket Marks & Spencer: corporate sponsor of Israeli terror
Please spread the word and join us on Saturday outside Marks & Spencer for a protest in solidarity with the Palestinian resistance, to expose British imperialism’s relentless support for Israeli terror and to call for a boycott of those companies that profit from the ongoing genocide of the Palestinian people.
For more information click here.
Facebook event: PROTEST: Picket Marks & Spencer – corporate sponsor of Israeli terror
For more upcoming North East events click here.
You can also follow FRFI’s Victory to the Intifada! campaign on Facebook:
Victory to the Intifada!
End British support for Israel!
Freedom to Palestine!
Victory to the Intifada!
