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Marks and Spencer protest builds!

Arthur Dent | 27.02.2004 16:02 | Anti-racism | London

Despite pressure from Zionists and recent threats, supporters mobilise to help the Palestinians.

Last week when I published a review of the M&S pickets several complaints were listed against the title 'Victory to the Intifada!'
I have taken these complaints on board and have adjusted my wording accordingly.

VICTORY TO THE INTIFADA!
VICTORY TO THE INTIFADA!

We call ourselves 'Victory to the Intifada' and not 'Hands of Palestine' or something similar in order to show our direct support for the just struggle of the Palestinian people. A just struggle for their own state, their own land and basic human rights. If anyone has a problem with this, well tough.

It seems most genuine conscientious human beings don't have a problem with the term 'Victory to the Intifada' though, and this was reflected by the numbers and new faces who came to the demonstration last night against Marks and Spencers support of Zionism. The last couple of weeks have been quite slow and the fascist counter-demonstration outnumbered the Palestinian one, but last night the situation was reversed and there was a vibrant and cheerful picket educating the public about the atrocities of the Israeli state.

It is imperative we keep building though and add to the pressure which M&S is facing and that Israel is facing by the international community. The first casualties of the newly finished apartheid wall occured last week, as 2 were shot dead on a protest against it, there will no doubt be more casualties to come and yet more abuses of human rights against the Palestinians.

If you live in London and wish to show your support of the Palestinians then come to Marks and Spencer on Oxford St (Marble Arch end) from 6-8pm every Thursday.

Victory to the Intifada!

Arthur Dent
e-mail: victoryintifada@hotmail.com

Comments

Hide the following 6 comments

grumble

27.02.2004 19:26

Sigh,

Strange Peoples, preach love not hate....and be nice

batman

Why take sides?

27.02.2004 21:16

I thought that the anarchist ideology concerning war was "no war but the class war". So why are you taking sides in this case? The anarchist movement didn't take sides in the civil war in Yugoslavia, in Bosnia or in the Kosovo conflict. Surely the best solution for both sides in the Middle East is to reject their bosses war, be that arab bosses or Jewish bosses.

solo

The Palestinian people's choice:

28.02.2004 00:16

The choice is: die for the terror bosses like Arafat, Rantissi or Yassin by volunteering to kill others, or die for them when they come to murder you.

While the Israel tolerates Jews advocating surrender to groups - like Hamas - that openly state that their aim is to 'drive all Jews into the sea', i.e. exterminate them en masse, what about Palestinians, ruled with an iron fist by the Al-Aqsa/Hamas/Islamic-Jihad terror apparatus? What about Palestinians who need clothes for their children, education and a negotiated peace?

They can't eat four tonnes of explosives, a ship full of automatic weapons, factories full of Qassam rockets, suicide belts, staged propaganda photo-ops, or the sham 'glory' for which those who commit crimes against humanity blowing up an Israeli schoolbus are venerated.

In Palestine, you back the bosses' line. If you don't, you are murdered as a 'traitor and a collaborator'. The female suicide bomber who, not long ago, blew up Israelis and Palestinians at a Gaza checkpoint was told it was the only way she could avoid being punished - presumably stoned to death - for alleged 'infidelities'.

Ross P

Hmmm

28.02.2004 12:26

Why are there always so many negative comments whenever someone tries to do an action on behalf of the Palestinian people?

Sure, no one in the anarchist movement supports Arafat, let alone Al-Aqsa or Hamas. This is not the point. If anarchists (or anyone else for that matter) took the moral high ground on every international conflict, we would never be able to take a position on anything. There is a Colombian Solidarity Movement, but this does not infer support of FARC. Anarchists post comments about Russian atrocities in Chechnya, but this does mean we support Bin Laden!

The point is that it is better to DO SOMETHING to highlight what is going on in Palestine rather than sitting at home moaning all the time about how "ineffective" pickets are or saying "what's the point, they're all the same anyway". The M&S picket is clearly working, otherwise Zionist counter-demonstrators wouldn't bother turning up every week. So let's get down there! I don't even live in London, but I intend to make it down in the next couple of weeks.

For me, the concept of intifada is not about terrorism, it is about popular resistance to oppression. I think this is something we can all identify with. Showing solidarity with the Palestinian people does not mean we have to condone everything that happens over there.

VICTORY TO THE INTIFADA!

Andy

Why so many negative comments you may well ask

29.02.2004 10:35

.... you get a lot of comments cos by coming out on the side of the palestinians you are coming out against
one of the most, if not the most, powerfull force on earth. Bankers for example.
Also because the hard right christians believe that the second coming will be in Israel fairly soon and they don't want a bunch of Arabs getting mixed up in all the festivities .
besides ask any of the (IMC) zionist "fly" posters what the difference is between an Arab and a dog and they will
quickly tell you that Arabs are sub human. They kill half a dozen a day just or fun (or what)
Racism on the other hand is only applicable when directed at jews ...

I.G farben

Victory to the Intefada?

24.04.2004 16:47

Manchester Marks and Spencer Protests

Having been curious as to precisely what goes on at the 'Victory to the Intefada' pickets, I today attended one. To my surprise I was confronted by a group of seeming social outcasts merging their thoughts as a means to feel more comfortable about themselves as individuals. Once discussing topics with the group, they quickly proved they knew little about their subject area. When I tried to re-educate them, they assumed that I was Jewish and therefore a Zionist, and according to their placards a terrorist! The worrying thing was they refused to admit the simple existence of Palestinian terrorism and were instigating hate against Jewish people. Conveniently, having chosen a Jewish holy day so as to avoid any conflict with the true facts.

Regards,

Mikey ;-)

Michael
mail e-mail: MailMichael@hotmail.com

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