"GAZA COMES TO BROADMEAD"

From Midday today, a protest will tour Bristol City Centre,
highlighting various companies' links to the Israeli state, and thus
to the "War Crimes" (UN) committed against the people of Palestine
for the last 22 days.

Jason Bruton a resident of Easton, said :

"Everyone has seen the pictures on the mainstream media, they're bad
enough, but my friend who is working as a medic out there has sent me
pictures so terrible that they wouldn't be allowed to be published
here."

Sheila Crawford, Horfield, said

"The Bombing of the UN HQ in Palestine was the final straw for me. I
had to do something. Over 1,000 Palestinians dead! It makes me angry
that the UK has done so little to halt this massacre. I feel that
companies who are happy to sell Israeli produce are complicit in the
war crimes taking place in Gaza."


Companies which may be visited on Saturday include:

1. Lloyds-TSB. Has closed its account with Palestinian charity
Interpal, based on false US accusations of links with terrorism. These
allegations have been investigated by the UK Charity Commission, who
found that Interpal is a "well run and committed organisation which
carries out important work in a part of the world where there is great
hardship and suffering."

2. Boots The Chemist. Trades with Israeli pharmaceutical companies.

3.Tesco. Stocks much Israeli produce. Including that of fruit and veg
producer Carmel-Agrexco (50% owned by the Israeli State).

4.The Body Shop. Formerly with ethical reputation, long since gone
after being bought by L'Oreal who among other things have extensive
commercial interests in Israel, including selling 'Dead Sea' products
from the occupied West Bank.

5. Marks and Spencers. Also sells Israeli fruit & veg.

This follows a protest last Saturday at Broadmead's Marks & Spencer's.

Protesters will also be informing shoppers of the links between War
Crimes taking place in Palestine and Arms companies based in Bristol:

Bristol, of course, is home to some of the biggest names in the arms
industry. You can watch F-16's (components manufactured by British
Aerospace) bombing Palestinians on YouTube now. In fact, arms
companies Raytheon, Boeing, Thales, Rolls Royce and BaE all have
factories and offices in Bristol and contracts with Israel.

In 2007, the UK government blocked "almost one-third of British
Military exports to Israel, citing possible threats to regional
stability and fears the equipment might facilitate human rights
violations" Quite. However last years UK arm sales to Israel were up
by £14 million on 2007.

While many skilled engineers in Bristol have their talent wasted,
ordered to build weapons of destruction (incidentally, subsidised by
the British taxpayer to the tune of £890 million pounds a year -
that's about £13,000 per worker) surely it would be possible for them
to put their skills to better use.

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

1.Location of protesters during the afternoon can be found by
calling:07917383517

2.Pictures and Film of protest can be obtained by request to the above number.

3. Attachment is pdf of leaflet to be handed out

4.There have been many statements of condemnation by United Nation
representatives These include the U.N. Special The special UN
representative on the Palestinian territories, Richard Falk, has also
criticized Israel for committing "crimes against humanity".Falk has
called on the International Criminal Court to determine whether
Israeli leaders and military commanders "should be indicted and
prosecuted for violations of international criminal law".

More recently, Human Rights Watch says it has observed "dozens and
dozens" of white phosphorus shells being fired by Israel at the Gaza
Strip - a heavily populated civilian area where its use is prohibited.
The phosphorous on contact with human skin causes severe burning, and
is very painful to treat.

Gerald Kaufman, Labour Lord and son of holocaust survivors made a
speech in the House of Lords comparing current Israeli actions to
Nazis:
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMGuYjt6CP8

5.Documentation concerning commercial links between the companies
listed above, both military and non-military are widely available on
the Internet, including the companies own websites and press releases.




Lloyds-TSB on Corn Street was paint bombed

There was a "die-in" at Tesco Metro in Broadmead

Police have now arrived