Second picket held on Oct. 14, 2017, Vancouver.
Photos from the action, … Read more
Second picket held on Oct. 14, 2017, Vancouver.
Photos from the action, more on Facebook event page.
Vancouver launches the Boycott HP campaign with an informational picket on August 26, 2017 outside Best Buy.
Hewlett Packard companies play a key role in Israel’s oppression of Palestinians. They provide technology, equipment and services to the Israeli military and government, including the ID card system that underpin Israel’s apartheid policies and its movement restrictions for Palestinians.
The international Boycott HP campaign has already seen 17 U.S. churches (representing 7 denominations) divest from the company and has also attracted support from student governments.
More info at BDS Movement and American Friends Service Committee
Here is a video on our Facebook page for the Aug. 26 picket.
And on Twitter:
Video highlights of great picket to Boycott HP, Vancouver, Aug. 26. Boycott HP – Technology of Israeli Apartheid! pic.twitter.com/V4LnmVbF21
Background Info: Hewlett Packard (HP) companies are known for their computers, printers, and ink cartridges but many people are unaware of HP’s role providing technology for Israel’s military occupation of Palestine and violations of Palestinian human rights. HP has been described as the “Polaroid of our times”, a reference to huge mobilisations against the use of Polaroid technology used for the South African apartheid regime’s passbook system.
• HP provides IT infrastructure and support to Israel’s Prison Service.
• HP companies have contracts to provide information technology infrastructure to the illegal settlements of Modi’in Ilit and Ariel and also have a “development center” in another illegal settlement, Beitar Ilit.
• HP provides the biometric ID cards for Israel that form the basis of rampant and de facto discrimination in housing, employment, marriage, healthcare, education, and policing.
Support human rights and go HP free! Make your back-to-school shopping Apartheid free!
Check out the FB event page for details and photos.
The challenges faced by the students of Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights SPHR and the YestoBDS campaign at the University of British Columbia (UBC) in recent months serve as a template for what to expect from pro-Israel groups on campuses.
The ultimate end result was that the BDS referendum did not pass this year at UBC, although the students won an earlier landmark and (perhaps more significant) victory from the BC Supreme Court that dismissed a challenge to suppress the vote altogether.
Zionist groups have all now joined in the same chorus that the final vote count shows that BDS is “nefarious”, “divisive” and “promotes hate”.
I would suggest a different analysis, that the referendum results simply show us how much more ruthless, underhanded and aggressive the pro-Israel lobby have become around BDS, particularly at universities.
Israeli apologists constantly repeat the mantra that BDS creates a toxic and divisive environment on campus, but really, who is driving that toxicity?
After following the debates on both print and social media at UBC during the referendum, and personally witnessing the horrific verbal abuse (that could easily have escalated into physical abuse) and disruption from the “Jewish Defense League” at a BDS panel on April 3, I have come to the conclusion that part of the strategy by pro-Israel groups is to manufacture this “toxic” environment so that student unions will be hesitant to deal with the issue.
As SPHR-UBC noted in their statement following the vote, the court case and the delays in being able to campaign (especially for a volunteer student group in the final week of term) severely hindered their efficacy. They summed it up this way:
“We started this campaign knowing the odds were against us: we only had a week to campaign, the delay was caused by a legal battle that had drained our efforts already, we had limited resources compared to our opposition, and we knew it would be hard.
“Regardless, we managed to start important conversations and the outcome of the vote shows that in better circumstances we could actually make it, and we commit to keep this conversation going on campus. It’s a shame that so few students had the opportunity to be aware of the referendum due to the constraints of limited campaign time.”
There were also reports that the AMS Student Union did not send out an email to all students notifying them of the online BDS referendum, even though it was an official AMS referendum that had met all the necessary criteria and email notices had been sent 2 years prior during the first BDS vote.
Further, the AMS Code of Procedure specifically states on page 128 that for online voting:
“1. The Elections Committee shall ensure that all Active Members have an opportunity to vote and shall establish staffed information booths and take other measures to publicize the election or referendum so as to ensure that as many Active Members as possible do vote.”
Clearly this did not happen as shown by the very low voter turnout; we have to ask why? Given the hectic nature of the last week of classes, and the imbalance in resources, this AMS lack of publicity may have been critical.
From the “Hillel student that went to court” to the Bnai Brith smear campaign to the JDL thuggery – the pro-Israel lobby groups were all on the same trajectory. Make the subject so contentious, so onerous, so costly that many students will not want to take it on.
And make sure that even if you can’t convince people of the rightness of your position, the issue will be considered too “hot to handle”. As Gilad Erdan, the Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs, said over a year ago – “Soon every BDS activist will know that he will pay a price for this.”
And given developments in the past few months, we take him at this word. If you’re of Palestinian descent, the new travel ban means you might not be able to return to see your family if you are publicly active around BDS. Or the JDL will physically assault you, as happened in Washington DC to Kamal Nayfeh, who required 19 stitches for an eye injury. Or you will be falsely linked with alleged “terrorist” groups, and your photo spread across Zionist websites for simply wearing a symbolic Palestinian scarf, as happened at UBC.
We are deeply moved that in the face of such blatant and aggressive tactics, the students at UBC were not intimidated and carried on with their YestoBDS campaign. More than that, they pledged to continue the struggle by saying:
“We will keep standing up for human rights, even in the face of hateful misinformation and intimidation. We will keep giving space to the voices of Palestinians, in the name of freedom, justice and equality.”
And this is the real victory for BDS – that despite facing the full force of what can only be called the “BDS busting” machine, these students stood their ground and insisted to speak up for Palestinian rights, and scored a precedent-setting legal decision in the BC Supreme Court at the same time.
The Canadian BDS Coalition congratulates the Kings BDS Network at the University of Western Ontario and the Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights (SPHR) at the University of British Columbia
At King’s University College at University of Western Ontario, 76% of the students who cast a vote in a recent referendum supported their student council in lobbying the King’s administration to boycott and divest from companies complicit in human rights violations against Palestinians.
Implementation will be based by King’s University College Student Council (KUSC) on a resolution that brought results from this referendum along with another referendum on fossil fuel divestment to their March 19, 2017 Annual General Meeting.
The approved resolution mandates the student council to lobby King’s administration to boycott and divest from any and all companies and products complicit with Israeli occupation based on principles of human rights, labour, environment, and anti-corruption. It also calls on KUCSC to research and write an annual Advocacy Paper on ethical investments and divestments that will include a five-year plan for ethical investing.
On March 30, 2017, the SPHR at University of British Columbia had a ground-breaking victory when a British Columbia Supreme Court judge brought down his ruling and dismissed a case to stop a boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) referendum.
This occurred when pro-Israel advocates took this issue to the British Columbia Supreme Court, after being unsuccessful in getting the student union (known as the AMS Student Society) to refer the issue to a student court to decide on the “legality” of the referendum question. The ambiguity of the question was not an issue in 2015, but simply another excuse to stall and keep the referendum from going forward, and was linked to a goal to decouple the referendum from a student election vote, which would have resulted in quorum. The BC Supreme Court decision is a significant victory and stops a dangerous precedent from being set.
This action of taking a student union referendum to a provincial Supreme Court, speaks to the war that the Israeli government and its lobbyists around the world have called against those supporting the Palestinian-led global movement of boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) for freedom, justice and equality.
These student successes come on the heels of the Government of Israel multi-day detainment and interrogating the co-founder of the BDS movement, Omar Barghouti as part of the Government’s “tarnishing” propaganda effort to silence Barghouti and repress the BDS movement.
Without question, the ratcheted-up aggressive use of Israeli legislation and tactics is combined with passing legislation in other countries and whatever legal options can be manipulated to delay, deny and silence all discussion of global BDS campaigns.
The Canadian BDS Coalition recognizes the courage and steadfastness of the students at King’s University College and the University of British Columbia in upholding the simple principle of BDS—the principle, that Palestinians are entitled to the same rights as the rest of humanity.
The Canadian BDS Coalition is comprised of groups in Canada that support the Palestinian BDS National Committee (BNC) call for boycott, divestment and sanctions targeting Israel’s system of settler-colonialism, occupation, and apartheid towards the Palestinian people. Members of the Coalition share a common commitment to pursuing peace in Palestine/Israel through the realization of freedom, justice, and equality for Palestinians, without which a lasting peace is impossible to achieve.
However, Coalition members are not alone. An EKOS poll conducted in February 2017 found that 66 per cent of Canadians are receptive to Canada imposing sanctions on Israel and 78% consider the Palestinian call to boycott to be a “reasonable” response to Israel over Israel’s violations of international human rights law.
The continued success of boycott, divestment and sanctions affirms the stand of Canadians against the apartheid actions and policies of the Government of Israel and the military abetted settler-colonialist occupation of Palestine, and the expectation that the Canadian government will reflect this sentiment.
Did you know that Air Canada is outsourcing maintenance work for its B787 jets to Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI)? And that IAI is the largest state owned defence and aerospace company in Israel? In fact, IAI is the subject of boycotts across Europe and is well-known for its drone technology and production. (See Corporate Watch report.)
Two years ago, BDS Vancouver-Coast Salish started a global campaign targeting Air Canada, which is now being relaunched. As international efforts become more focused on Israel’s military defense industry, it is high time that corporations like Air Canada are held accountable for their complicity in Israeli war crimes.
Although any outsourcing of its maintenance work was originally considered illegal and even challenged in Canadian courts, the Trudeau government has recently made moves to change the law and allow Air Canada more “labour flexibility”. Please make your union, church, and community or political groups aware of this boycott and encourage them to show solidarity with the Palestinian people as well as workers here in Canada.
It is truly shameful that Air Canada is “outsourcing” its maintenance work to this Israeli defense company that is directly responsible for the deaths of Palestinian civilians. We call on all supporters of Palestinian rights and social justice to check all other possible options before finalizing your travel plans. Send the message to Air Canada that Israeli government abuses of international law will not be rewarded with your travel dollars!
Sign the petition to Air Canada here. Check out the background info on this website’s homepage.
Boycott Israeli Wines campaign targets another BC Gov’t. Liquor… Read more
Boycott Israeli Wines campaign targets another BC Gov’t. Liquor Store
Video of Dec. 17 In-Store Flash Action
The Boycott Israeli Wines campaign in Vancouver, Canada held another flash action and picket on Dec. 17, despite the unusually cold temperatures in the city. The activists initially went into the government liquor store, and showed real “holiday spirit” with their chants and singing. The manager of the store was made aware that the 3 brands of Israeli wines that are stocked there are all from stolen Arab and Palestinian land, thus rendering the BC Government complicit in human rights violations. One brand in particular, the Teperberg Vision Malbec, even openly brags on its website that the vineyard that contributes grapes for this wine is in the illegal Israeli settlement of Mevo Horon. This settler enclave is in the Latrun area of the occupied Palestinian West Bank and is also close to the infamous “Canada Park” built by the Jewish National Fund with Canadian tax-deductible monies.
The picket then moved outside of the store, where leaflets were handed out to many passersby. Palestinian flags flew high as more chants and singing happened on the busy street corner in one of Vancouver’s densest shopping areas.
Activists succeeded in getting their message out, both inside and outside the store, and their chant of Boycott Israeli Wine, Free Free Palestine was heard loud and clear!
Background information on this campaign can be found in this Palestine Chronicle article.
Letter hand-delivered to BC Liquor Board head office Check out the video of the picket. Friday Sep. 23, 2016 at 3:00 PM – 4:30 PM
Head Office, BC Liquor Distribution Branch, 2625 Rupert St, Vancouver, Canada
Join us for this important picket to send the message to the BC Government to stop carrying Israeli wines (most sourced from illegal Israeli settlements) and end their complicity in war crimes. Over the summer, several “surprise” pickets were already held at various BC liquor stores, including one at the beginning of August that included an instore flash action, the video of which has over 78,000 views on FB. Check out the Boycott Israeli Wines FB page for coverage of the last 2 actions and the sustained attacks by the Zionist lobby to try and shut us down.
Come out and help us defend and promote the BDS movement as well as our right to engage in all actions to support Palestine and the Palestinian people. Facebook page.
Campaign history and background information here.
