Boycott Israeli Products - Direct Action Jervis Street Centre

dublin | rights, freedoms and repression | news report Saturday January 17, 2009 17:44 by Rónan

Boycott Israeli Products

An IPSC (Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign) and Éirígí direct action was held today in the Jervis Street Centre against the “Sea Spa”stall selling Israeli produced Dead Sea beauty products & cosmetics. The “Sea Spa” stall employees have previously stated that they have served in the Israeli armed forces.

This was a peaceful demonstration involving the use of banners, leafleting and various chants. Chants included “Boycott Israeli products”, “Free Free Palestine”, and “Free Free Gaza”. An IPSC spokesperson stated “This action is part of a broader IPSC call for a diplomatic, academic, sporting and commercial boycott of Israel and Israeli goods & services.”

A customer of the “Sea Spa” Dead Sea beauty products stall commented that “Palestine should be bombed off the map”.

Members of the Jervis Street security tried to forcibly remove the protestors from the centre. The attitude of the security guards was extremely aggressive.

Significant number of members of the public joined in our peaceful protest and also intervened with the security guards.

Following this intervention, and after raising awareness and finishing our protest at the stall, the protestors moved outside continuing the chanting & leafleting through the centre unfurling a Palestinian flag. This included the members of the public who had joined in earlier. The protest then continued outside the Jervis Street Centre at the Henry Street entrance.

The protest was later joined by fellow activists from the IPSC, Palestinian community in Ireland, Irish Anti War Movement and Socialist Party in Dublin today.

Previous IPSC activities in Dublin, Limerick and Sligo have highlighted the sale of Israeli products such as “–417” & Temsa cosmetics which are sold in shops such as Debenhams.

Further information on the boycott is available on the IPSC website – www.ipsc.ie

Further video and photographs to follow