This morning, a group of activists entered Selfridges' Food Hall and proceeded to fill up baskets with products made in the Occupied Teritories. They went to numerous tills and once the goods had been put through, caused disturbances until removed by security. Meanwhile they handed out leaflets (see text below) and caused embarrassment to Selfridges and concern to security staff for around another hour.

This was a simple and effective action which needs very few people and very little time to prepare.

Text of leaflet:
Selfridges have caved in to Israeli government pressure and placed back goods produced on illegal Israeli settlements for sale. Selfridges removed these goods over Christmas when they appeared to recognise a wider civic responsibility. Now they have reneged on this decision and are once again accomplices to Israel's brutal occupation of Palestinian land that have resulted in the murder of tens of thousands of innocent Palestinians since 1967.

Selfridges once again supporting illegal Israeli Occupation! Israel has tried to cement this occupation by attempting to colonise the West Bank, Gaza and the Golan Heights with these settlements and the Prime Minister Sharon wishes to make conditions so awful for the Palestinians living there -by sheer terror and enforced poverty- that they will give up and leave: this is effectively ethnic cleansing. By selling goods from these settlements, Selfridges are giving economic and political support to Israeli military oppression.

There is also an issue of legality as these goods are labelled "Made in Israel" in contravention of EU excise and customs regulations. They include:

Achva Halva - Barkan Industrial Zone,

West Bank Ahava toiletries - Mitspe Shalem,

West Bank Beigal and Beigal pretzels - Barkan Industrial Zone,

West Bank Yarden Wines - Katzrin, Golan Heights

These settlements have been built on land expropriated from the Palestinians in the Occupied Territories. Not only are they illegal under international law, including the Fourth Geneva Convention, but their existence and continuing expansion, a symbol of the ongoing occupation, has been identified as a major obstacle to peace at this sensitive time.

The EU and international positions make it clear that settlements are not part of Israel, and therefore are not covered by any trade agreement. By stocking such products, Selfridges is in effect assisting settlement expansion through subsidising the settler economy. Whilst settlement trade flourishes, Israel continues to strangle the Palestinian economy by denying it free access to the outside world.

The EU has knowingly ignored taking decisive action against Israel over this flouting of its own rules, so we are bringing this to the attention of the public.

The BIG campaign urges the public to boycott companies that sell Israeli goods until Israel ends its illegal occupation of the Palestinian territories, abides by UN resolutions and obeys International law.

Please voice your concerns to Mr Vittorio Radice, Chief Executive of Selfridges, 400, Oxford St, London W1A 1AB. His email address is: Vittorio.Radice@selfridges.co.uk