Boycott demo Outside Tescos

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On Saturday 13th September 17 people set up a stall outside Tescos in Hove and handed out leaflets to shoppers urging them not to buy Israeli goods.

Two members of the group entered the store, identified herbs and medjoul dates from illegal settlements in the Occupied West Bank, piled them in a trolley, and complained to the Assistant Manager on duty that these goods should not be on sale. They explained to him that Israeli settlements in the West Bank are illegal, that the produce exported from them is grown on land that has been stolen from Palestinians, and that Tesco is complicit by selling settlement goods. He asserted that buying policy was made by Head Office and it was therefore not his responsiblity.

We have written to Tesco head Office several times over the last year, since members of Brighton Tubas FSG went into a settlement in the Jordan Valley and saw dates packed for export to Tesco. They have not replied to our letters or agreed to our requests to meet them.

> However, following Saturday's demonstration we have written to the
> Chief Executive of Tesco again demanding that they abide by their
> published 'responsible buying and selling' policy displayed on their
> website. The letter also brings attention to the continued
> mislabelling of settlement goods as 'produce of Israel', with copies
> being sent to relevant bodies.
>
> Locally, we have been in correspondence with the Foreign Secretary
> /FO officials about trade with illegal settlements, as well as the
> mislabelling issue.
>
> The same afternoon some members of the group went to the nearby Coop
> supermarket and found that did not have any Israeli goods in stock. We
> will be writing to them to thank them.
>
> This event was the second in a series on supermarket demonstrations
> calling on shoopers to Boycott Israeli Goods and shops to stop selling
> them.
>
> The next demonstration will be outside Waitrose in Western Road on
> Saturday 27th Sept from 12.00 to 2.00pm. Please join us as having a
> large group of people makes a much greater impact.
>
> These activities are all being organised by the Boycott, Divestment
> and Sanctions Working Group wich was set up earlier this year by
> Brighton and Hove Palestine Solidarity Group and Brighton Tubas
> Friendship and Solidarity Group.
>
> The next meeting of the Working Group will be on Monday 29th
> September at 7.30pm in the Cowley Club Back Building (access at 52
> Providence Place). All welcome.