A regular Saturday picket of Marks & Spencer in Manchester was attacked last weekend (3rd July) by an organised group of thugs. They assaulted some of the picketers, grabbing leaflets out of their hands, attempted to turn over the campaign stall and destroyed some placards. The attack lasted for over quarter of an hour before police eventually arrived on the scene.
The picket has been a regular presence outside M & S in protest at the relationship between the company and the Israeli state. According to the Jerusalem Report (5 June 2000) Marks & Spencer support Israel to the tune of approximately $233 million in trade every year. The picketers are calling for a boycott of M&S whilst the 'special relationship' continues and Israel maintains its military occupation of the West Bank and Gaza.
The picket has not been without incident. Only a week earlier two men were detained by police officers outside the store for possessing imitation firearms, in reality toy guns which were being used as props for mock military checkpoints. In March two people were prosecuted for 'affixing placards to council property' and 'depositing a paste table on the highway without lawful authority or excuse’ outside the store. Marks & Spencer are now reported to be planning on bringing anti-social behaviour orders against the picketers.
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