#BDS Belfast – Protest highlights Israeli Goods
Scores of pro-Palestine supporters gathered at the doors of Asda in West Belfast today [Saturday, 15th of May 2021] to protest at the continued sale of goods marked ‘Made in Israel’.
The Palestinian masses have for decades asked the global community to support their #BDS campaign which calls for other nations, individuals and businesses to ‘Boycott, Divest and Sanction’ goods made in or linked to Israel , especially goods made in the occupied territories and settlements.
Those gathered outside the store heard a few introductory words from Lasair Dhearg spokesperson Aindriú Mac Ruaidhrí who reiterated the reasoning behind the protest, before the gathered dozens moved into the store for a peaceful and dignified protest.
Trolleys and baskets of goods made in, or with links to Israel, were ferried across the store by those gathered with Palestinian flags, banners and posters. As a huge stockpile of goods slowly appeared at the customer service tills, the crowd again gathered for a few words from Lasair Dhearg spokesperson Pól Torbóid who said the following words:
“First of all, I just want to thank the workers here for their patience with what we have had to do today. And this is a message directly to them, and everyone who can hear these words so that they can understand our actions.”
“In recent days, I watched with a heavy heart as images and videos started to leak onto social media from parts of Palestine. I seen Israeli fighter jets rain down death and destruction on apartment blocks and houses in Gaza. I watched as a child with her mother, ran for their lives. They ran – from fighter jets armed with missiles and ordnance that could topple whole buildings. And topple them, they did. Then I seen another clip, where that child’s shoe lay on the side of a rubble filled street. There was no foot in the shoe.”
“I watched a young boy call out for his father, a horrible sound as he cried for his papa, as his fathers body was carried at shoulder height by other men. That young lad, crying, carried his father too. There were other videos, all too horrible to recount.”
“In the past number of days over 120 Palestinians have been killed, a sizeable number of them children, the majority of them civilians.”
“Israel’s objective is to ethnically cleanse all of Palestine of the Palestinian people and on their bones, continue to build their Zionist Israeli state. That is why we stand here today. Because we have to hit the Zionist state in its pockets. It is all we can do from this far away, and we do it, because the people of Palestine have asked us to.”
“Currently, Israel has called up its reservists, and amassed thousands of troops on the borders of Gaza. A ground invasion looks imminent, as tanks, fighter jets and ordnance pound the Gaza strip. An area just 25 miles long and up to 7 miles wide, filled with over 2 million people.”
“If you’re ever wondering what daily decisions those people have to make, then think of this tweet out of Gaza by Palestinian mother Eman Basher. She said, “tonight, I put the kids to sleep in our bedroom. So that when we die, we die together and no one would mourn the loss of another.“”
“If that tweet makes you angry, good, because you should be.”
“Fuck Israel !”
“FREE PALESTINE !”
“FREE FREE PALESTINE !”
