On Friday 18 July Palestine Action Group (PAG) and Fight Racism! Fight Imperialism! (FRFI) activists held an emergency protest in solidarity with Palestine outside Boots on the West Road, in Fenham, Newcastle. The protest was in response to the announcement of Israel’s ground invasion of Gaza the night before. Boots stocks Estee Lauder cosmetics, whose chairman Ronald Lauder, chairman of the Jewish National Fund, works to legitimise Israeli occupation. The protest was lively, loud and got a lot of support.
The following day…
PAG and FRFI protestors picketed Marks & Spencer (Britain’s biggest corporate sponsor of Israel and a company that supports the occupation and colonisation of Palestine ideologically as well as economically), Boots and HSBC (a bank involved in underwriting the Israeli state budget) in Newcastle city centre. The activists were successful in forcing HSBC to close their doors for over an hour.
For a video report of the action made by a supporter of PAG click here.
Protesters in Newcastle force HSBC to temporarily close their doors
Throughout the day hundreds of people stopped to listen to speeches, to chant and to distribute leaflets. This kind of solidarity on the streets is necessary. FRFI urges readers in Newcastle to engage with action, to take to the streets and to organise against British support for Israeli terror.
PAG and supporters of FRFI outside Boots in Newcastle city centre
James Bell, an FRFI supporter, said, ‘Israel has been carrying out air strikes on Gaza for the last 12 days and has begun a ground invasion. We don’t believe it should be business as usual for companies that support Israel. Whilst Gaza is under attack, whilst occupation and genocide are inflicted upon the Palestinian people we must continue to put pressure on these companies and break every day normality. We can’t be silent.’
PAG’s next protest in Newcastle in solidarity with Palestine will assemble at 5.30pm on Tuesday 22 July outside M&S on Northumberland Street. We will then move on to join a picket of the BBC, organized by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign and other organisations. We are not going away.
Free Palestine!
Palestine Action Group was set up with FRFI supporters and other people wanting to take action in solidarity with Palestine.
For more information about PAG go to the Facebook page: click here.
Contact PAG on [email protected]
TUESDAY (22 July) – assemble 5:30pm outside Marks & Spencer on Northumberland Street, City Centre:
Protests outside Marks & Spencer and the BBC: Freedom for Palestine!
For more information click here.
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!
