Skip to content or view screen version

Bristol Palestinian Solidarity Campaign

Ben | FEED | 08.06.2001 13:19

News from the Bristol Palestinian Solidarity Campaign.
We urge people to support the Bristol PSC, set up to raise awareness of the human rights abuses Palestinians experience daily in occupied Palestine. We aim to provide practical solidarity with Palestinians through fundraising, picketing and lobbying governments.

We have decided that the symbolic picket of the Bristol (Broadmead) Marks and Spencer should now take place monthly rather that weekly. The reasoning behind this concerns the need to build up a greater network of support over time, and hopefully to achieve more support at the monthly pickets. It will be held on the first Saturday of every month from 12:00-2:00pm.

The present support and volunteer levels are appalling - only two people attended last Saturday's picket. It is unfair to expect the same person to attand the picket for more than 20 weeks in a row, which is partly why the weekly picket had to be cancelled. I am surprised that people who say they support us have continually refused to participate in the picket. Picketing M&S is a practical way of targeting Israeli apartheid, and supporting the Palestinian people, whilst raising awareness of the tragic situation in the Middle East. We accept that aside from boycotts, much more has to be done. Political action targetting the Israeli government is vital, which is why protest letters to both Robin Cook and Tony Blair are given out at the pickets. There are also regular pickets of the Israeli embassy (London), which we will be attending later this month.

At Wednesday's meeting, which also experienced dreadful turnout (even though a large number of people claim to support the campaign), it was decided that we would have a monthly meeting at Kebele. This will be held at 7:00pm the first Wednesday of every month. More meetings will be scheduled as and when necessary.

Regarding the Cube screening on 24th June (more details on our website -  http://www.feed.ukf.net), arrangements are being made for publicity and advertising, including leafleting and fly posting. The flyers are currently being printed, and ahould be ready in the next few days. If anyone can offer their help with advertising this event, please contact us.

Regards
Ben

FEED | Fighting Exploitation Elitism & Discrimination | Bristol Palestinian Solidarity Campaign
W:  http://www.feed.ukf.net
E:  feed@ukf.net
A: Box 35, 82 Colston St, Bristol, England BS1 5BB

Ben | FEED
- e-mail: feed@ukf.net
- Homepage: http://www.feed.ukf.net

Comments

Hide the following comment

this smacks of anti-semitism....

08.06.2001 23:17

as the header suggests, this point is about anti-semitism. I will come clean and admit that I work for M&S, but I want it known that there is no love lost between that compny an myself. However, although M&S has been traditionaly been associtated with the Jewish religion, I don't believe that that can be considered to be tha case.
If you were Protesting outside M&S because, like everyother multi-national, they exploited cheap labour in developing contries, or they exploited staff in their stores, I could understand. What I cannot understand is how you can suggest, under the current management, that M&S somehow support the violence inflicted on the Palestinians.
To that end, I think that your actions are largely anti-semitic.....
If I'm wrong please correct me, but thats what I think.

Incidentally, I was brought up a Roman Catholic, and renounced religion about 12 years ago....

bob_the_builder
mail e-mail: bob_the_builder@marksandspencer.co.uk