{vsig}palestin_glasgow{/vsig}
On Saturday 18th August Glasgow FRFI / RCG supporters held a successful rolling picket of British banks and companies in Glasgow city centre which are complicit in Israel’s crimes against the Palestinian people. The rolling picket finished with another lively counter protest against the weekly Glasgow Friends of Israel stall on Buchanan Street. The picket was supported by individual supporters of Palestine.
Starting at Marks & Spencer, a key British trader with Israel which has always promoted support for Zionism, the picket then moved to Barclays and HSBC banks to expose their investments in arms companies profiting from the occupation and oppression of Palestine.
British imperialist support for the Zionist state was highlighted by the fact that since 2013 over £350m worth of UK military hardware has been sold to Israel, including sniper rifles. Israel remains imperialism’s attack dog in the Middle East.
The protest finished at the weekly Glasgow Friends of Israel stall where the racist character of the Israeli state and its Zionist ideology was exposed to the public with speeches and chants; ‘Zionism is a crime – Free, Free Palestine!’
Picketers spoke out against the IHRA definition of anti-Semitism as an attempt to censor opposition to the policies and racist character of the Israeli state and to criminalise solidarity with Palestine. The Scottish SNP Government adopted this new definition of anti-Semitism last year, following the UK Government, and leading Glasgow councillors have expressed their support for it. Any attempt to implement it locally must be opposed.
Street drama and placards were used to highlight the struggle of the 5,820 Palestinian political prisoners that were imprisoned as of July 2018 which included 270 child prisoners. Picketers also highlighted the recent passing of the Jewish nation state law; which codifies in law second class citizenship for Palestinians and further ethnic cleansing.
Join us for our next Free Palestine! Boycott Israel! Street stall
Saturday 25th August, 12.30
Outside Barclays Bank on Argyle Street
There will be an open mic.
Facebook: Glasgow FRFI