Call on workers to refuse to use Israeli goods at pro-Palestine rally in Belfast

Thousands of pro-Palestine protesters have marched through Belfast city centre to oppose businesses deemed in support of Israel’s military operation in Gaza.

The protest wove its way through the city centre disrupting traffic and shoppers out on Saturday afternoon.

Organisers of the march led chants outside Starbucks, Barclays, Axa and Leonardo Hotels buildings – accusing them of supporting a genocide against the Palestinian people.

During speeches at the end of the protest, held outside the BBC Northern Ireland offices, workers were urged to refuse to use Israeli products from September 18 and to boycott products by Teva, an Israeli pharma multinational.

Although some protesters made subtle reference to Palestine Action, there was no major reference to the group deemed a proscribed organisation by the UK Government.

Three women were seen wearing three t-shirts bearing the separate words “I Support”, “Palestine” and “Action”.

Meanwhile, at a demonstration in central London, tensions flared as some elderly people were arrested for sitting behind placards that said “I support Palestine Action”.

A pro-Palestine demonstration was also held in Dublin, with crowds marching from the US embassy to the Department of Foreign Affairs.

Other protests were also held in Cork, Galway, Limerick, Waterford, Carlow and Navan, organised by the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC).

Speaking in Belfast, Rossa Coyle of the IPSC called for a boycott of Caterpillar, which provides bulldozers that have been used in the occupied Palestinian territories, and Teva products.

“Ask your GPs, ask your pharmacist to mark your records ‘no Teva products’. Boycott Teva,” she said.

Patricia McKeown, from Trade Union Friends of Palestine, said there had been a call for an intensification of pro-Palestine action.

She said they were asking people to refuse to use Israeli products at work between September 18 and 21.

“Trade Union Friends of Palestine across Ireland and the Irish Congress of Trade Unions have been in emergency meetings with BDS, with its European co-ordinators, to look at what call for action we are making to intensify what is already being done on the ground,” she said.

“There are workers across the island refusing to handle Israeli products, goods and services.

“Starting on the 18th from that day onwards, we want workers to refuse to handle any Israeli goods or services they are engaged with in whatever type of place they work in, that might be the public service and the civil service, that might be the health service, that might be education, that is definitely industry, that is definitely retail.

“We are pledging to stand by those workers as they take action by their refusal.

“Now, the obligation is on every single one of us to do something about this, because you can make all the high-level calls for action in the world, but take it from somebody who has spent her working life organising strikes – they do not happen unless you mobilise on the ground and in the workplace.”

Dr Ashraf Abouharb, a Palestinian who lives in Belfast, said the “heinous” situation facing Palestinians in Gaza is being “completely ignored” by Israel and their allies.

“What’s happening in Gaza over the last week or two is utter and discriminate destruction,” he said.

“What else needs to happen for the international community and world leaders, especially the Western leaders, to make an action to do something trying to stop this genocide?

“I’m extremely delighted to see you in this big number and large crowd coming today, raising your voice and declaring that ‘enough is enough’.

“This has been the largest crowd for many, many, many weeks, and you are responding to what’s happening.”

He appealed to business leaders and workers to take action based on their morals and conscience.

“The Palestinian people, my family and their families and all of that, made a mistake in 1948 by being displaced and going away from their homeland. And they said to me that ‘we are not repeating this mistake by leaving this land’.

“We have to live (up) to their commitment by continuing to fight on their behalf and continuing to fight for them until Gaza is free and Palestine is free.”