[Boycott - Cultural] Protest Demands Puma End Apartheid Israel Sponsorship
inminds 19 October 2018 London protest outside Puma flagship store in Carnaby Street demands Puma respect Palestinian human rights and end apartheid Israel sponsorship
London protest outside Puma flagship store in Carnaby Street demands Puma respect Palestinian human rights and end apartheid Israel sponsorship
London protest outside Puma flagship store in Carnaby Street demands Puma respect Palestinian human rights and end apartheid Israel sponsorship
On Saturday 6th October 2018, Inminds human rights group protested outside Puma's flagship store on Carnaby Street to demand Puma stop its sponsorship of apartheid Israel Football Association, which includes football clubs based in illegal Israeli settlements, and plays its football games on stolen Palestinian land in the West Bank.
The protest was in solidarity with over 215 Palestinian sports clubs which on 10th September 2018 called on the world’s third largest sportswear manufacturer, Puma to respect Palestinian human rights and cut ties with the Israel Football Association.
Inminds chair Abbas Ali said "In March this year we protested outside Adidas flagship store in London, in solidarity with 130 Palestinian sports clubs who had requested Adidas to stop supporting apartheid war crimes. After sustaining much brand damage Adidas stopped. Rather than learn from that experience, Puma has instead signed a 4 year contract to lend its brand to cover up and whitewash the very same war crimes, which the illegal settlements constitute under international law. Illegal settlements built on stolen Palestinian land are normalised and legitimised by Puma through its sponsorship. This time 215 Palestinian sports clubs have asked Puma to respect their human rights. So far Puma has just ignored them. Sports is about fair play, Puma through its apartheid sponsorship is promoting racism. We are here to tell Puma that there is a price associated with standing with apartheid. Their complicity in Israeli war crimes will cost their brand dearly. We are here to ask Londoners to help Puma make the right decision by boycotting their products until they respect Palestinian human rights. "
A contingent of Zionist thugs tried to violently suppress the protest. The extent of the assault cannot be divulged as this stage due to on going legal proceedings, but some of it is visible in the video that follows. Both passers-by and the security officer of the Puma shop, were so disgusted by the actions of the zionists, that they came to help the peaceful protestors.
Inminds chair Abbas Ali said "Zionist thugs lead by a former vice president of the Zionist Federation, and consultant to Labour Against Antisemitism Group, came with the objective of silencing us, by violence if necessary. They failed. Through their actions, Londoners got a glimpse of zionist fascism up close. For these thugs all Palestinians and their supporters are all terrorists, and any championing of human rights for Palestinians amounts to antisemitism. Clearly they have been emboldened by the uptake of the IHRA definition of antisemitism which purposely blurs the distinction between opposing the racist endeavour - apartheid Israel, and supporting anti-Jewish racism - antisemitism. The violence we encountered was a direct result of the spineless decision taken by the Labour party, and other parties, to capitulate to the bullies of the Israel lobby in adopting this divisive definition."
Background:
http://inminds.co.uk/article.php?id=10824
Letter from Palestinian Sports Clubs to Puma
To: Bjørn Gulden, CEO of Puma
Cc: Management and Supervisory Board members: Michael Lämmermann, Lars Sørensen, Jean-François Palus, Jean-Marc Duplaix, Béatrice Lazat, Thore Ohlsson, Bernd Illig and Martin Köppel
10 September 2018
We are writing to urge Puma to end its sponsorship of the Israel Football Association (IFA) due to its deep complicity in Israel’s violations of international law and Palestinian human rights.
The IFA sponsors football matches in illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank, as exposed by Human Rights Watch and other human rights organizations. There are six Israeli football clubs located in Israel’s settlements, on stolen Palestinian land, that Palestinians are not allowed to enter. Israel’s settlements contribute to serious human rights abuses and are a direct cause for restrictions on Palestinian freedom of movement, access to natural resources and ability to build homes and conduct business.
IFA’s involvement in Israel’s illegal settlements has been condemned by, among others, Wilfried Lemke, the UN special adviser on sport for development and peace, dozens of Members of the European Parliament (MEP), civil society and human rights groups and public figures from the world of arts and culture. Despite these global appeals, the IFA has decided to put politics above sports and refused to end its complicity.
As the main international sponsor of the IFA, Puma is lending its brand to cover up and whitewash Israel’s human rights abuses, including against Palestinian footballers. Palestinian players are routinely attacked, imprisoned and killed. They are denied the freedom of movement to attend their own matches. Palestinian stadiums have been bombed and destroyed. Israel even prevents Palestinians from importing football equipment and developing football facilities.
Puma’s sponsorship of the IFA legitimises and gives international cover to Israel’s illegal settlements. UN Security Council Resolution 2334 (2016) denounces Israeli settlements as “flagrant violations” of international law. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) is compiling a database of companies that do business in or with Israel’s illegal settlements as a practical step for accountability of complicit corporations. Puma’s sponsorship of the IFA would land it on this list based on the selection criteria. In addition, your sponsorship of the IFA, an entity with operations in the settlements, makes Puma complicit and may expose it to consumer-led boycott campaigns in the Arab world and globally.
According to your Code of Ethics, Puma is committed “to human rights and intend[s] to act as a socially responsible company” wherever it operates.
We urge you to abide by your Code of Ethics by withdrawing your sponsorship of the Israel Football Association (IFA) until it ends its involvement in Israel’s grave violations of international law and human rights abuses against Palestinians.
Signed:
src: https://bdsmovement.net/news/more-200-palestinian-sports-clubs-urge-puma-end-sponsorship-israeli-teams-illegal-settlements
VIDEO: Puma End Apartheid Israel Sponsorship
London protest outside Puma flagship store in Carnaby Street demands Puma respect Palestinian human rights and end apartheid Israel sponsorship
London protest outside Puma flagship store in Carnaby Street demands Puma respect Palestinian human rights and end apartheid Israel sponsorship
London protest outside Puma flagship store in Carnaby Street demands Puma respect Palestinian human rights and end apartheid Israel sponsorship
London protest outside Puma flagship store in Carnaby Street demands Puma respect Palestinian human rights and end apartheid Israel sponsorship
London protest outside Puma flagship store in Carnaby Street demands Puma respect Palestinian human rights and end apartheid Israel sponsorship
London protest outside Puma flagship store in Carnaby Street demands Puma respect Palestinian human rights and end apartheid Israel sponsorship
London protest outside Puma flagship store in Carnaby Street demands Puma respect Palestinian human rights and end apartheid Israel sponsorship
London protest outside Puma flagship store in Carnaby Street demands Puma respect Palestinian human rights and end apartheid Israel sponsorship
Boycott Puma leaflet design
Zionist physically assaults Inminds cameraman
Zionist verbally assaults Inminds speaker to ty to silence her
Zionist punches human rights activist
Zionists continuously threaten and intimidate Inminds speaker to try to silence her
Zionists pushing Inminds activist to get to speaker
Zionists pushing Inminds activist bending her arm backwards
Zionist assaults Inminds speaker knocking her speech out of her hands
Zonist assaulting Inminds activist from behind
Desptite the violence and intimidation, the zionists failed to silence us - Free Palestine!
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Source: www.inminds.com
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