InsIDe: - Palestine Solidarity Campaign

22 palestine news activismspring2011Ahava driven outVictory! The fortnightly protests outside the Ahava cosmeticsshop in London’s Covent Garden by PSC members andother pro-Palestinian supporters have driven the companyout.The Jewish Chronicle reported in March that Shaftesbury PLC,which owns the property, told them that when Ahava’s lease expiresin September, “we will not offer them a new one."The protests began two years ago in response to a call for actionfrom the PopularCommittee ofBil’in. Ahavaproducts aremanufacturedin the IsraeliWest Banksettlement ofMitzpe Shalomthough labelledas producedin Israel. Acounter groupof pro-Israelisupporters,backed by theultra-right English Defence League, staged alternative protests.It appears that nearby shop owners put pressure on the landlordsto oust Ahava. The Jewish Chronicle quoted Colin George, managerof a clothes shop next door, saying: “I’m pleased Ahava is leaving.It’s brought the street down. I’ve complained to the landlords, ashas everyone here. Everyone would like them to leave. I wish theyhad left two years ago.”“I’m pleased Ahava isleaving. It’s broughtthe street down...Everyone would likethem to leave”The JC said AhavaUK’s accounts up untilthe end of 2009 showa loss of more than£250,000, despitereceiving more than£300,000 from its Israeliparent company, withno repayment plan.The company told thepaper it was looking foranother location, including sites in north-west London.Another store to be targeted was Adidas’s busy flagship store onLondon’s Oxford Street in a protest at the company’s sponsorshipof the Jerusalem Marathon. Members of West London, Lambethand Richmond branches and other BDS activists imposed a noshoppingzone at the store for 30 minutes on the day of the race, 25March.The runners distributed flyers explaining that the JerusalemMarathon is an attempt by Israel to whitewash their atrocious humanrights record and to urge Adidas not to sponsor the 2012 race. Theygave the management a document explaining the purpose of theaction with a request it be forwarded to head office. The store wasevacuated and forced to close for a time.Several branches have supported Mark Thomas’s performancesof his “Extreme Rambling” show about walking the apartheid wall.Cambridge hosted a Q&A after the show and Oxford held a stallat the Pegasus Theatre during the week of his tour and provided aspeaker for a Q&A on one evening.There were events round the world in February to mark the deathof Jawaher Abu Rahmah, 34, who became the first Palestinian to dieat the hands of the Israelis when she was killed by tear gas duringa peaceful demonstration in Bil’in. Lambeth and Wandsworthheld a stall and banner signing in her memory at the Dashed HopesSymposium at St John’s, Waterloo.The idea was to get the banner covered with messages ofsupport for the people of Bil’in and then to send it to the villageorganisers so they could carry the support with them on futuredemonstrations. They report: “People were open to the idea ofnon-violent protest in pursuit of human rights following the widecoverage of the uprising in Egypt.” Portsmouth and South Downsheld two vigils for Abu Rahmah in central Portsmouth with bigplacards explaining the circumstances of her death.Joint activities with other organisations were held to mutualbenefit. Lambeth and Wandsworth branch are holding fortnightlystalls with Lambeth Unison in support of BDS while Oxfordmembers worked with the Oxford Ramallah Friendship Associationwho are bringing young people to the town this summer. They alsojoined in Women in Black demonstrations which have recentlyconcentrated on East Jerusalem.Orkney Friends of Palestine has forged a link with theunrecognised Bedouin village of Al Sira in the northern Naqab[Negev] which the secretary, Bryan Milner, visited when on anICAHD study tour. Members held a table-top sale and a music andpoetry evening which raised over £500. Donations were added andthe total sum was matched by a local charity with the result that£2,000 was sent to Al Sira to help a community leader on a legalcourse relating to land rights.Films continue to be an effective way of drumming up interestfrom the wider public. The award winning documentary, Budrus,about the fight by Palestinian community organiser, Ayed Morrar,to save his village, was shown in Cambridge where the brancharranged for Ben White, author of Israeli Apartheid: a Beginner’sGuide, to host a Q&A afterwards. They report the event “got a fullhouse, people were turned away.”York branch showed the film in a local cinema and led a publicdiscussion afterwards which was very well attended with manynew people coming. One member also organised a film showing ofLawrence of Arabia in aid of Medical Aid for Palestinians. OrkneyFriends of Palestine also participated in a lively discussion after alocal showing of the film while Oxford provided publicity and foodfor a showing of the Gaza Monologues film and raised over £2000towards bringing a group of young performers from Gaza thissummer.Martial Kurtz at the PSC stall at the March for theAlternative demo in London