London: Shoplifters United!
a womble | 22.12.2002 02:12
I was at the Oxford Street free shop action today,
which was participated in by hundreds of shoppers
and passersby. I've been to many demos and
actions over the last few years, and in terms of
engaging with people and getting a message across
in a fun, creative and original way, that had
relevance to people's lives, this was the best action
I've been to.
Police presence was heavy from the start, but their
warning regarding section 14 of the public order act
and the fact that we were apparently 'disrupting the
shopping life of the area' (exactly what we set out to
do!) was overpowered by the shouts of 'free donuts'
and the ensuing rush to the stall. Most passersby
and participants largely ignored the police, with one
elderly lady who had crossed the road to attend the
free shop, going so far as to label their behavior
pathetic.
We were initially met with disbelief that everything
was free, but people quickly understood that this
was no charitable act, and got into the spirit of
things in a big way, trying on clothes, rummaging
through boxes of books. During the 4 hour
disruption of the busiest street in London on the
busiest day of the year, continuous streams of
people donated books, toys & clothes, drank
chocolate-flavoured coffee, ate onion bhajis &
cakes, listened to music and browsed for free
presents. One man found a book he'd been
searching for for ages, and offered a donation. He
was refused, with the afternoon's oft-repeated
phrase - "everything's free". A hilarious mock
auction was held - "I'm taking bids of nothing!", "The
stereo goes to the man who's offered nothing!"
The 'Free Palestine' march that passed by - and
stopped for a coffee - was met with cheers from the
free shop kids, and confusion from the cops (was
this another protest, or the same one in a different
guise?).
Many of those we spoke to were surprisingly already
aware of the situation in Argentina (considering the
lack of coverage in the UK press), and understood
the relevance of the action to our/their own situation
regarding christmas consumption and ever-spiralling
consumer debt which is now at an unprecedented
£810 billion pounds in the UK.
One Womble was arrested on a spurious charge
(section 14 of the public order act) for apparently
protesting in the wrong area by himself (he
went for a walk). It's as if the human rights act
never existed. He will appear in court on Monday.
Love + Rage
Freeshopping WOMBLES
which was participated in by hundreds of shoppers
and passersby. I've been to many demos and
actions over the last few years, and in terms of
engaging with people and getting a message across
in a fun, creative and original way, that had
relevance to people's lives, this was the best action
I've been to.
Police presence was heavy from the start, but their
warning regarding section 14 of the public order act
and the fact that we were apparently 'disrupting the
shopping life of the area' (exactly what we set out to
do!) was overpowered by the shouts of 'free donuts'
and the ensuing rush to the stall. Most passersby
and participants largely ignored the police, with one
elderly lady who had crossed the road to attend the
free shop, going so far as to label their behavior
pathetic.
We were initially met with disbelief that everything
was free, but people quickly understood that this
was no charitable act, and got into the spirit of
things in a big way, trying on clothes, rummaging
through boxes of books. During the 4 hour
disruption of the busiest street in London on the
busiest day of the year, continuous streams of
people donated books, toys & clothes, drank
chocolate-flavoured coffee, ate onion bhajis &
cakes, listened to music and browsed for free
presents. One man found a book he'd been
searching for for ages, and offered a donation. He
was refused, with the afternoon's oft-repeated
phrase - "everything's free". A hilarious mock
auction was held - "I'm taking bids of nothing!", "The
stereo goes to the man who's offered nothing!"
The 'Free Palestine' march that passed by - and
stopped for a coffee - was met with cheers from the
free shop kids, and confusion from the cops (was
this another protest, or the same one in a different
guise?).
Many of those we spoke to were surprisingly already
aware of the situation in Argentina (considering the
lack of coverage in the UK press), and understood
the relevance of the action to our/their own situation
regarding christmas consumption and ever-spiralling
consumer debt which is now at an unprecedented
£810 billion pounds in the UK.
One Womble was arrested on a spurious charge
(section 14 of the public order act) for apparently
protesting in the wrong area by himself (he
went for a walk). It's as if the human rights act
never existed. He will appear in court on Monday.
Love + Rage
Freeshopping WOMBLES
a womble
e-mail:
wombles@hushmail.com
Homepage:
www.wombles.org.uk
Comments
Hide the following 3 comments
yeeahh!
22.12.2002 11:27
supporter
Detournement in action!
22.12.2002 18:45
In solidarity
The ghost of Guy Debord
21 December protest against Marks and Spencer
24.12.2002 13:20
On Saturday 21 December, the busiest shopping day of the year, FIGHT RACISM! FIGHT IMPERIALISM! VICTORY TO THE INTIFADA GROUP held a demonstration against Marks and Spencer and in support of the Palestinian Intifada in Oxford Street London.
First Marks and Spencer Marble Arch branch was targeted for a picket. Activists lined up outside the entrance with placards letting passers-by know that Marks and Spencer supports Israeli terror and apartheid in Palestine, and that while people are going about their Christmas shopping in Oxford Street the situation in Bethlehem and other parts of Palestine is far from peaceful or festive: Palestinians are confined to their homes under the Israeli curfew and cannot go out to get essential supplies as they are shot on sight by the Israeli army. Children are shot for leaving their homes and for throwing stones at soldiers in heavily armoured tanks. Despite all the propaganda of the mass media in Britain, the fact remains that more than three times as many Palestinians as Israelis have been killed in the second Intifada since it began in September 2000, and that the Intifada is a legitimate struggle of the Palestinian people for freedom from occupation.
Two other activists underlined the point further: one dressed as an Israeli soldier held a plastic gun to the head of a blindfolded and kneeling 'Palestinian' in front of the store to a background of chants. MARKS AND SPENCER: MISERY AND SUFFERING! ONE, TWO THREE, FOUR, OCCUPATION NO MORE! FIVE, SIX, SEVEN, EIGHT, ISOLATE THE ZIONIST STATE!
This obviously infuriated the M&S management as they all came down from upstairs to talk to a vanload of police who had arrived. Thanks to organisation and discipline the police failed in their attempts to extract information by going up to different activists to ask questions and they were all redirected to the picket steward who handled them well.
After more than an hour outside M&S Marble Arch the activists marched down Oxford Street with placards and slogans to M&S Oxford Circus. On the way they passed the 'Free Shop' held by the WOMBLES on the theme of the Argentinian crisis and the people's resistance, to cheers and a battery of police cameras photographing every move. Marks and Spencer Oxford Circus was subjected to a picket in the same way that their Marble Arch branch had been earlier.
BOYCOTT MARKS AND SPENCER!
VICTORY TO THE INTIFADA!!
LEAFLET - LEAFLET - LEAFLET
Boycott M&S: Boycott Israeli Apartheid
"The things a Palestinian has to endure, simply coming to work in the morning, is a long and continuous nightmare that includes humiliation bordering on despair. The present model integrates apartheid." (Former head of Israeli Security Service Shin Bet, Ami Aylaon, Ma'ariv 5/12/00)
FACT 20,000 Palestinian civilians have been seriously injured and over 2000 Palestinians have been killed since the Intifada began in September 2000 (www.palestinemonitor.org)
FACT Israel is targeting children: More than one in three of the injured are under 18. Over 400 children under 18 have been killed.
FACT Israel has violated international law (UN Resolutions 242 and 338) by blocking 4 million Palestinian refugees from returning to their homeland while promoting the influx of immigrants to settle in occupied Palestine from Europe, Russia and all over the world.
FACT Shelling and demolition have destroyed 700 buildings and damaged over 14,000. Israeli forces have bulldozed over 30,000 Palestinian olive and fruit trees and 15,000 acres of Palestinian farmland.
Why Boycott M&S? Because M&S...
* Supports Israel with £233 million in trade each year (Jerusalem Report, 5 June 2000)
* sells goods produced in the illegally occupied territories
* were key diplomatic allies for Zionism in the 1920s-40s, working closely with Chaim Weizmann
* M&S Chairman Israel Sieff advocated ethnic cleansing: "large sections of the Arab population of Palestine should be transplanted to Iraq and other Middle-Eastern Arab States" (Jewish Chronicle, 21/09/1941)
* sees "aiding the economic development of Israel" as "one of its fundamental objectives" (Lord Marcus Sieff, long-time M&S Chairman, Management: the M&S Way, 1999)
* "was prominent, even essential, from the 1960s to the 1980s... partly because of its strong links with Zionism; and partly for its success in getting Israeli goods to the British marketplace" (Barry Kosmin)
* received the Jubilee Award, Israel's highest tribute, from Israeli PM Netanyahu in 1998.
* was honoured in 2000 by the Israeli Ambassador to Britain in a ceremony in London.
* "are as close to Israel as we ever have been" (M&S Spokesperson, Jewish Chronicle, 2000)
Our concern is not with M&S' Jewish roots but with its historic and continuing support for Zionism
Zionism and Palestine
Come and discuss Palestine's history and plan political activities. 9 and 23 January, 7:55pm, 20 Kingsway, WC2.
Nearest tube: Holborn
FIGHT RACISM! FIGHT IMPERIALISM!
PICKET M&S!
M&S Marble Arch, 458 Oxford Street
Nearest tube: Marble Arch or Bond Street
Saturdays 4 and 18 Jan, 12-2pm
Get Active, Get Involved, Contact:
VTI
e-mail:
victoryintifada@hotmail.com
Homepage:
http://www.revolutionarycommunist.com