Protestors have shut down operations at the Carmel Agrexco warehouse near Heathrow Airport. Two protestors are locked to a vehicle barrier, one to a truck and one to a main gate. Two protestors have climbed on top of the truck to further immobilise any loading or unloading work, and suspended banners. The Israeli flag that usually flies over the Carmel compound has been replaced with a black flag in mourning for Gaza.
In the early hours of Saturday morning, human rights activists have occupied and shut-down the HQ and only UK freight warehouse of Carmel Agrexco - Israel's largest agricultural exporter form the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
British supermarkets - accounting for 60% of Carmel-Agrexco's total exports - will have had their orders affected. The Israeli government has a 50% stake in the company. Exports include flowers, avocados and herbs grown in illegal Israeli settlements on occupied Palestinian land.
The protestors argue that Agrexco's harvesting and sale of goods from illegal settlements built in Occupied Territories has been enabled by eviction, murder and theft of resources - considered "war crimes" under the International Criminal Courts Act 2001. As such, Agrexco's business of importing fresh produce is "unlawful business". Some of the protestors involved wish to be arrested and charged in order to have their case against Agrexco's war crimes heard in a UK court. They intend to declare their actions and claim full responsibility to police.
Tom Hayes said 'Agrexco is responsible for human rights crimes against the Palestinian people. The British supermarkets which buy produce from Agrexco are also complicit. Handling stolen goods is an offence whether the offender is a supermarket or an agribusiness. Agrexco must by held liable for its "unlawful business".'
The action has been timed to commemorate 60 years since the Palestinian 'Nakba' (Catastrophe) - the theft of Palestinian land, masssacres, expulsions and creation of over 700,000 refugees with the founding of the state of Israel in 1948.
Many of the human rights activists participating have spent time living in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and witnessed first hand extra judicial killings, collective punishment and wilful damage of land, property and infrastructure.
British supermarkets - accounting for 60% of Carmel-Agrexco's total exports - will have had their orders affected. The Israeli government has a 50% stake in the company. Exports include flowers, avocados and herbs grown in illegal Israeli settlements on occupied Palestinian land.
The protestors argue that Agrexco's harvesting and sale of goods from illegal settlements built in Occupied Territories has been enabled by eviction, murder and theft of resources - considered "war crimes" under the International Criminal Courts Act 2001. As such, Agrexco's business of importing fresh produce is "unlawful business". Some of the protestors involved wish to be arrested and charged in order to have their case against Agrexco's war crimes heard in a UK court. They intend to declare their actions and claim full responsibility to police.
Tom Hayes said 'Agrexco is responsible for human rights crimes against the Palestinian people. The British supermarkets which buy produce from Agrexco are also complicit. Handling stolen goods is an offence whether the offender is a supermarket or an agribusiness. Agrexco must by held liable for its "unlawful business".'
The action has been timed to commemorate 60 years since the Palestinian 'Nakba' (Catastrophe) - the theft of Palestinian land, masssacres, expulsions and creation of over 700,000 refugees with the founding of the state of Israel in 1948.
Many of the human rights activists participating have spent time living in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and witnessed first hand extra judicial killings, collective punishment and wilful damage of land, property and infrastructure.
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