Los Angeles, CA – Chants of “Shut Sadaf down!” and “Boycott Sadaf!” echoed through an industrial area of Los Angeles as over 100 people rallied outside the Sadaf Foods building calling for a boycott of the company on January 5.

A member of U.S. Palestinian Community Network, along with Sol Marquez, a member of Centro CSO in Los Angeles and David Pulido, a member of CSO Orange County entered Sadaf Foods with the intention of negotiating and presenting their demands.

Inside, the USPCN person stated to staff of Sadaf Foods: “I’m Palestinian. My parents were born before there was even a thing called Israel. And the fact that we would even call it Israel is in itself a problem. We do not recognize this entity on our stolen land.”

The staff disclosed that 3.7% of their transactions are done with Israel, equating to millions of dollars. Despite being met with resistance, the negotiating team firmly presented the demands. First, cut all ties to Israel and anything associated with the Zionist institutions, military and nonmilitary. Second, cease the outsourcing of foods from colonized and stolen Palestinian land. Third, to stop exploiting and appropriating Arab and Palestinian cuisine and trying to pass it as Israeli food. Finally, issue a public apology and reparations.

Allies of the Palestinian struggle gave speeches expressing their support. Diana Terreros, member of CSO Orange County, expressed her organization’s unequivocal support of the Palestinian resistance. She reminded the crowd that Chicanos know the importance of boycotts: “In the 60s, Chicanos joined forces with Filipino Americans to boycott Delano grapes to support a strike against poor pay and working conditions”. She stated that today, Chicanos in CSO stand in solidarity with Palestinians because while their struggles are different, they are united against the common enemy of U.S. imperialism.

Michael Williams from Black Lives Matter-LA also reminded the crowd of the history of solidarity between oppressed nationalities, “There’s a lot of history of Palestinian and Black resistance together. Our struggles have been intertwined for a long time.”

A member BAYAN expressed, “The symbiotic struggle between Palestine and the Philippines is underscored by the alarming fact that U.S. tax dollars directly contribute to funding the oppression and violence against activists in the Philippines.”

The USPCN member present in the negotiations addressed the crowd stating that the Sadaf Foods staff said their business was apolitical. The negotiation team gave them examples of businesses that supported Germany during the Holocaust and asked if they would have considered that apolitical as well.

Two common themes that emerged among all the speeches were how the struggles of the oppressed are intertwined and that imperialism being responsible for this oppression. Sol Marquez stated, “U.S. imperialism is at the root of everything and imperialism in general is the number-one class that is oppressing people like Palestinos, the working class, Chicanos and many of you here.”

The rally was primarily organized by U.S. Palestinian Community Network (USPCN), Centro CSO, CSO Orange County, BLM LA, Students for Justice in Palestine, Palestinian American Women’s Association and International League of People’s Struggle as part of a national week of action to stand with Palestine and end U.S. aid to Israel.

Protesters marched back to the sidewalk and continued chanting. USPCN and others plan on continuing their boycott efforts of Sadaf Foods until their demands are met.

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