Protests at Veolia's sponsorship of Wildlife Photographer of the Year Exhibition
Pam Parsons | 04.02.2012 18:09 | Palestine | Oxford
Oxford human rights activists came out in force on the first day of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year Exhibition at Science Oxford to protest at the sponsorship of the exhibition by multi-national, Veolia. A demonstration in the morning by Oxford Women in Black was followed in the afternoon by one organised by Oxford PSC and the University Palestine Society.
The Wildlife Photographer of the Year Exhibition, put together by the Natural History Museum in London is sponsored again this year by Veolia. This year, for the first time the "tour" of the exhibition to other venues, including Science Oxford Live is also sponsored by Veolia.
Veolia is a French multi-national involved in waste management, water and transport. It is a particularly ethically detestable company as it profits directly from Israel's illegal occupation of Palestine.
Veolia is involved in the building and operation of the recently developed Jerusalem light rail which has appropriated Palestinian land, and connects Israeli West Jerusalem to illegal Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian West Bank. In April 2010 the UN Human Rights Council declared this tramway and its operation to be illegal. In addition, Veolia takes waste and rubbish from Israel and illegal Settlements and dumps this in landfills on stolen Palestinian land in the West Bank. The company recently secured a contract to manage waste produced by the Occupying Israeli army in the Palestinian West Bank. As a result of these activities, Veolia has already lost contracts worth millions of pounds in the UK (see:
http://www.bigcampaign.org/veolia/ for more information).
The activists who demonstrated on the opening day of the exhibition in Oxford were united in their rejection of Science Oxford's association with such a distastful organisation. Discussions with Science Oxford by members of Oxford PSC initially led to an agreement to put up a display stand from PSC with information about Veolia, but this was later withdrawn as the CEO felt that a political stance was "outside their scientific remit"
Both actions which included leafleting and some good discussions with passersby were very successful. There was lots of public support – much honking and waving from cars, and visits by young hip-hop fans who filmed us and by a local LBGT member brought us some cookies from her group. An American lady who joined the picket was amazed at the public support, saying it would be very different in the U.S,A.
We will continue to let Science Oxford know how we feel about Veolia's sponsorship of the exhibition they are hosting. Protests will take place every Saturday from 2-4pm outside Science Oxford , 1-5 London Place, St Clements while the exhibition is running. (January 28th - March 10th inclusive)
PLEASE JOIN US
Veolia is a French multi-national involved in waste management, water and transport. It is a particularly ethically detestable company as it profits directly from Israel's illegal occupation of Palestine.
Veolia is involved in the building and operation of the recently developed Jerusalem light rail which has appropriated Palestinian land, and connects Israeli West Jerusalem to illegal Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian West Bank. In April 2010 the UN Human Rights Council declared this tramway and its operation to be illegal. In addition, Veolia takes waste and rubbish from Israel and illegal Settlements and dumps this in landfills on stolen Palestinian land in the West Bank. The company recently secured a contract to manage waste produced by the Occupying Israeli army in the Palestinian West Bank. As a result of these activities, Veolia has already lost contracts worth millions of pounds in the UK (see:
http://www.bigcampaign.org/veolia/ for more information). The activists who demonstrated on the opening day of the exhibition in Oxford were united in their rejection of Science Oxford's association with such a distastful organisation. Discussions with Science Oxford by members of Oxford PSC initially led to an agreement to put up a display stand from PSC with information about Veolia, but this was later withdrawn as the CEO felt that a political stance was "outside their scientific remit"
Both actions which included leafleting and some good discussions with passersby were very successful. There was lots of public support – much honking and waving from cars, and visits by young hip-hop fans who filmed us and by a local LBGT member brought us some cookies from her group. An American lady who joined the picket was amazed at the public support, saying it would be very different in the U.S,A.
We will continue to let Science Oxford know how we feel about Veolia's sponsorship of the exhibition they are hosting. Protests will take place every Saturday from 2-4pm outside Science Oxford , 1-5 London Place, St Clements while the exhibition is running. (January 28th - March 10th inclusive)
PLEASE JOIN US
Pam Parsons
Homepage:
http://www.oxfordpsc.blogspot.com/
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