This Saturday 30 October, around 80 Zionists tried to prevent the weekly picket of Marks and Spencer in Market Street, Manchester from taking place. Using klaxons, sirens and whistles, they attempted to stop us from getting our message about the savage and illegal Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories to the people on the streets of the city. Women and disabled supporters were singled out for obscene abuse. Jewish supporters were threatened. Anti-Arab racism was their standard currency. Displaying Israeli, British, US and (ludicrously) Spanish flags, these neo fascists proclaimed their allegiance to the renewed colonisation of the Middle East.
The 30 or so supporters of the M&S picket were not to be intimidated. Many members of the public ran the gauntlet of abuse to sign petitions and take leaflets. However, the picket could and should have been much bigger but for the sabotage of the organised left. Stop the War, CND and Palestine Solidarity Campaign all failed to distribute publicity for the picket on their e-lists, despite the fact that they knew that there would be a Zionist counter-demonstration.
Now more interested in electoral careers than street politics, the middle class left has in practice abandoned the Palestinian struggle for freedom. Occasional meetings or events such as the European Social Forum are not a movement. The PSC won’t support the M&S pickets because its middle class leaders do not want to upset their middle class peers who shop at the store. The SWP/Stop the War excuse their inaction and sectarianism by repeating the Zionist lie that M&S pickets, can be seen to be anti-Semitic. Inaction is now the norm for the left. We call on those who want to build anew to join us every Saturday and stand against the British/Israeli fascists on Market Street.
Picket M&S Market Street, Manchester, every Saturday 12 noon.
Victory to the Intifada!
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