Protest urges Boycott of Marks and Spencers in Dublin

dublin | rights, freedoms and repression | news report

Saturday January 24, 2009 17:37

by Breather

A group of anti-zionist activists distributed leaflets and picketed the Liffey Street Marks and Spencer store in central Dublin today. Marks and Spencer's is unusual in that as well as selling Israeli goods, the company has a corporate relationship with the Israeli state.

The response from the majority of people was very positive, with a great many people refusing to pass the picket. After a while the management of M&S called the gardaí, but since there is no crime in leafleting, they left the protesters in peace.

Further pickets are planned for the near future.

Why pick on Marks and Spencer's?
Because the shop has a corporate relationship with Israel. In a book on M&S, Lord Marcus Sieff - long time Chairman of M&S - wrote that one of the fundamental objectives of M&S is to aid the economic development of Israel (Management: The Marks & Spencer Way, Weidenfield & Nicolson, 1990). Sieff was on the board of Marks and Spencer's until 2001, and there is no reason to assume his views are not still held by current management.

Why a boycott on this issue and not on many other human rights abuses around the world?
Because boycotting is not an end in itself, it is just a tactic. Israel is vulnerable to boycott because it is a small trade dependent nation- a boycott might actually work.

Are all Israeli goods clearly marked? No. If there is no country of origin marked then assume that it is Israeli. Ask the store management, and look out for barcodes beginning with 729.

Are there positive steps that you can take as well as boycotting?

Contact the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Committee www.ipsc.ie

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