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national | miscellaneous | news report Sunday August 04, 2002 01:40 by Irony is dead

CHAOS IN SELFRIDGES OCCUPIED AGAINST THE OCCUPATION Over 200 people disrupted business in Selfridges on Oxford Street today. They held a large demonstration outside the main entrance of the store, displaying banners saying ‘Murder Sponsored By Selfridges’ and handing out thousands of leaflets to customers and passers-by.

CHAOS IN SELFRIDGES:
by A couple of participants 8:04pm Sat Aug 3 '02
phone: 07817 061183 stopselfridges@soon.com

Chaos caused in Selfridges as around 200 people disrupted business to protest at Selfridges' support of the Israeli regime.

CHAOS IN SELFRIDGES

OCCUPIED AGAINST THE OCCUPATION

Over 200 people disrupted business in Selfridges on Oxford Street today. They held a large demonstration outside the main entrance of the store, displaying banners saying ‘Murder Sponsored By Selfridges’ and handing out thousands of leaflets to customers and passers-by.

Despite a large security and police presence, small groups managed to enter the store where they blew whistles and shouted to disrupt business and highlight the issues. Other groups put up stickers, detonated stink bombs and scattered “blood money” around the store.

Despite being repeatedly ejected by security guards, demonstrators re-entered the store. One group was dragged out after immediately being recognised by two security guards who had posed as potential action participants at an open planning meeting last Thursday.

Many of the store’s entrances were locked throughout the day, business was severely disrupted due to the chaos caused in-store and awareness of the issue was increased by the presence outside. Many people were assaulted by heavy handed security and two were arrested. One was later released without charge.

Kate Jackson from DAAWN said, “Through our continuing direct action campaign we will inflict economic damage on Selfridges to take the profit motive out of selling these products of human misery. ”

The action was supported by the following groups:
Campaign for Palestinian Rights, the WOMBLES, Youth & Student CND, JAZ
(Jews Against Zionism), AYN (Anarchist Youth Network), Rhythms of Resistance, Stroud Valleys’ Anarchists, Globalise Resistance

The Islamic Human Rights Coalition also joined the demonstration outside the store.

Contact: Direct Action Against War Now!
tel: Annie - 07817 061183
email: stopselfridges@soon.com
web: www.daawn.cjb.net

Notes for Editors:

Background information:

Selfridges have caved in to Israeli government pressure and placed back
goods produced on illegal Israeli settlements for sale.

Selfridges removed these goods over Christmas when they appeared to
recognise a wider civic responsibility. Now they have reneged on this
decision and are once again accomplices to Israel's brutal occupation of Palestinian land that have resulted in the murder of tens of thousands of
innocent Palestinians since 1967.

The illegal settlements have been built on land expropriated from the
Palestinians in the Occupied Territories. Not only are they illegal under international law, including the Fourth Geneva Convention, but their existence and continuing expansion, a symbol of the ongoing occupation, has been identified as a major obstacle to peace. By selling goods from the settlements, Selfridges is giving economic and political support to Israeli military oppression.

The EU and international positions make it clear that such settlements are
not part of Israel, and therefore are not covered by any trade agreement. By stocking such products, Selfridges is in effect assisting settlement expansion through subsidising the settler economy. Whilst settlement trade flourishes, Israel continues to strangle the Palestinian economy by denying it free access to the outside world.

The products are:
Achva Halva from the Barkan Industrial Zone,

West Bank Beigal and Beigal pretzels from the Barkan Industrial Zone,
West Bank Yarden Wines from Katzrin, Golan Heights,

Campaign information:

DAAWN was formed in March 2002 as a direct action anti-war group. In conjunction with Campaign for Palestinian Rights and Rhythms of Resistance, they have carried out a number of actions against Selfridges. These have included putting stickers on goods, leafleting and disrupting business in the store.

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