Orange County, CA – On Saturday, February 10, dozens of protesters stood in front of Harvest Fresh Market, an Orange County Arab market, chanting, “Hey, hey, ho, ho! Sadaf foods have got to go!” The purpose was to demand that Harvest Fresh remove Sadaf Foods products from its shelves.

Sadaf Foods, which is based out of southern California, is a known Zionist establishment. Within 30 minutes, the supermarket agreed to the demand and immediately began unstocking the various products from its shelves.

The tremendous event was organized by the U.S. Palestinian Community Network, along with support from Freedom Road Socialist Organization, Centro CSO-Orange County, Black Lives Matter Grassroots, International League of Peoples’ Struggles, and many others.

Speakers talked about why they stand in solidarity with the boycott. Maria Elena Madrid, representing Centro CSO-Orange County, spoke on what CSO fights for, “We are a grassroots, working-class organization fighting for the self determination of Chicanos and all oppressed people!” She thanked everyone present for supporting the boycott and explained, “Sadaf Foods disguises itself as a legitimate business of the people for the people when in fact it is not. It profits from doing business with the enemy! It is a company that supports settler colonialism and acts of genocide on Palestinians.” She ended her speech with a poem called Oh Rascal Children of Gaza by Khaled Juma.

David Pulido representing Freedom Road Socialist Organiation took the loudspeaker chanting, “Free, free, Palestine!” and “Long live Palestine!” as the crowd shouted back with enthusiasm. He spoke on how Sadaf Foods is funded by Zionist banks. “Sadaf has deep agricultural businesses that were built on stolen Palestinian land – shame! When the U.S. government pinches pennies for social programs at home, both Republicans and Democrats agree to send billions of dollars of military aid to Israel. Billions, billions of dollars to support the genocide of the Palestinian people – shame!” Pulido linked the fight against the police of Orange County who are trained by Israel, to then target and kill Chicanos and oppressed nationalities, back home. “This is why in the belly of the beast, we strike blows with a common enemy, U.S. imperialism!”

Near the end of the protest the organizers of the boycott thanked everyone for their support in the massive victory against Sadaf Foods. Organizers assured participants that they will check every day, to ensure there is not one Zionist product on their store shelves. It was stressed that the ongoing boycott of Sadaf Foods and any other Zionist businesses would continue, by any means. They suggested actions like following Sadaf Foods’ social media, going to its public events and protesting its continued support for Israel.

#OrangeCountyCA #AntiWarMovement #International #MiddleEast #Palestine #Boycott #FRSO #CentroCSO

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.

#LosAngelesCA #International #Palestine #AntiWar #Sadaf #Boycott #USPCN #CentroCSO #SJP

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from the Milwaukee Palestine Solidarity Coalition.

The Milwaukee Palestine Solidarity Coalition is celebrating a major victory this week as the People’s Books Cooperative bookstore joined a growing list of organizations that endorse the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel.

The People’s Books Co-op board voted in favor of “instituting a consumer, cultural and academic boycott of the Israeli state due to significant human rights concerns involved with Israel’s policies against the Palestinian community,” according to a statement released on their website (http://tinyurl.com/kcuubky).

People’s Books becomes the second cooperatively owned business in the United States to sign on to BDS, behind the Olympia, Washington Food Co-op whose endorsement won a decisive court battle after being challenged by pro-Israel Zionists.

People’s Books joins the likes of Nelson Mandela, Naomi Klein, Stephen Hawking, Stevie Wonder, Alice Walker, Roger Waters, Elvis Costello, Gil Scott-Heron, Judith Butler, The American Studies Association, and many others who have signed on to the Palestinian call to boycott, divest, and sanction Israel. The BDS movement was launched by Palestinian civil society in a 2005 call to the international community.

The People’s Books board responded to the call to BDS by conducting a survey of their membership which resulted in overwhelming support for the boycott proposal. Members of the Milwaukee Palestine Solidarity Coalition advocated for their proposal before the board of People’s Books, who previously did not carry any Israeli products. We applaud the members and board of People’s Books for their principled stance on social justice issues, and their strong stance in support of Palestinian human rights, especially while facing the economic difficulties inherent to operating a small local cooperative business.

The BDS movement is a growing, non-violent threat to Israel’s ability to continue its illegal occupation of Palestine which includes settlement construction, home demolitions, and illegal detention of Palestinian civilians. The Israeli state is scrambling to buy itself a better image abroad by throwing millions of dollars toward Israeli propaganda events in the US which deceptively present Israel as a liberal paradise with diverse culture and a healthy democracy. Israel's propaganda strategy places college students, social justice activists, academic and cultural workers, and progressive people on the front lines. But those very people are increasingly throwing their support behind the cause of Palestinian liberation.

The People’s Books Co-op stands as an example for all progressive people to follow as we work to build a better world that is free of war and apartheid, and based on the principles of social justice and cooperation.

In Solidarity, The Milwaukee Palestine Solidarity Coalition

#MilwaukeeWI #Palestine #Boycott #IsraeliOccupation #BDS #MilwaukeePalestineSolidarityCoalition #MiddleEast

Milwaukee, WI – On Nov. 5, the self-proclaimed “fastest growing motivational movement,” #besomebody, met the world's fastest growing boycott movement on the campus of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

Over 20 activists handed out informational fliers exposing the connection between SodaStream and the #besomebody “movement” which markets SodaStream's in-home soda machines. Activists educated fellow students on SodaStream's human rights abuses which include operating on an illegal Israeli settlement in the West Bank of Palestine.

Members of two Students for Justice in Palestine chapters held signs that read, “Don't drink SodaStream. Support Palestinian human rights. #besomebody against occupation.“During the action, activists from the Milwaukee Palestine Solidarity Coalition and Friends of Palestine met with #besomebody's founder, Kash Shaikh, and urged him to cut ties with companies that profit from the occupation of Palestine. Before a large group of activists Shaikh admitted, “I didn't do a very good job looking into their background,” referring to SodaStream, and said he was personally opposed to the occupation.

Actions and local campaigns against companies that sell SodaStream have been springing up over the last year as it becomes one of the primary focuses of the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement. A national week of action against SodaStream will coincide with ‘Black Friday’ later this month, focused on the retailer Target, demanding they withdraw the product and break ties with the Israeli occupation.

#Milwaukee #WI #Palestine #Divestment #Boycott #solidarity #SodaStream #besomebody #andSanctions #BDMMovement #MiddleEast

Milwaukee, WI – The Milwaukee Palestine Solidarity Coalition rallied outside the Israel Bonds Awards Dinner, June 13, saying “Don't award apartheid!” Inside the high class downtown Pfister Hotel, Israeli government ministers were presenting an award to a Park Bank CEO for his monetary support to the apartheid state of Israel. But while Israel and their 1% supporters met behind the protection of police stationed in the hotel lobby, activists representing at least seven community organizations rolled out their own red carpet.

“I came out to educate myself more on the issue as well as support the cause,” said Angie Ortiz, “I will definitely go to the ceremony again next year.”

With “Free Palestine” scrawled across the sidewalk at the hotel entrance, a makeshift stage and red carpet mocked the award ceremony inside. But instead of awarding the elite U.S. supporters of Zionist apartheid and occupation, awards were given to each Palestine solidarity activist rallying in support of Palestinian human rights. The final award was given to the courageous Palestinian hunger strikers.

The counter-awards ceremony called for support of the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement (BDS) by divesting from Israel bonds. Activists also called on Alicia Keys to cancel her scheduled tour date in Tel Aviv, Israel. This week over 12,000 signatures were delivered to Keys' charity “Keep a Child Alive” in New York, demanding she join the likes of Alice Walker, Roger Waters, Stevie Wonder, Desmond Tutu and Stephen Hawking to stand up for the rights of Palestinians living under occupation and apartheid.

The brand new Palestine Solidarity Coalition consists of several groups doing Palestine solidarity work in Milwaukee. The coalition is planning a city-wide campaign to boycott Israeli goods and end civilian and government aid to Israel from the U.S. That aid includes over $3 billion a year in government support alone.

#MilwaukeeWI #Palestine #Boycott #Apartheid #IsraeliOccupation #BDS #PalestineSolidarityCoalition #MiddleEast

Milwaukee, WI – The UWM Boycott Coalition for Worker’s Rights at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee declared a major a victory after the university halted sales of Palermo’s Pizza for the remaining school year and summer. Students and workers at the university have been struggling to end the sales of Palermo’s Pizza. A boycott of the pizza was called by Palermo’s workers attempting to form a union.

A two hour sit-in and rally, May 7, carried out by Youth Empowered in the Struggle, Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) and members of AFSCME and the Milwaukee Graduate Assistants Association, resulted in a negotiation that ended the pizza sales for the rest of the school year and summer.

“It has been a long struggle but a worthwhile effort to ensure that our immigrant brothers and sisters are treated with the dignity and respect that they deserve,” said Valeria Gonzales, a member of Youth Empowered in the Struggle. “It's about time the university listened to the students' voices.”

Previous actions at the university included an occupation of administrative offices and large rallies. Before this action, the university dropped the prices of other pizzas, removed a prominent Palermo’s pizza sign from the campus pizza stand, and posted notices about the Palermo’s pizza strike.

The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee was pressured by members of SDS in 2008 to sign on to the Workers Rights Consortium (WRC), an independent labor rights monitoring organization, which concluded the Palermo’s workers were illegally fired after attempting to form a union. Participation in the WRC has been a major rallying point for boycott coalition organizers to push for the university to join the boycott of Palermo’s.

The May 7 event started outside the UWM Union in the afternoon when about 50 students and community members rallied. Led by Youth Empowered in The Struggle and the Latino Student Union, a group of five students, mostly from Students for a Democratic Society, risked arrest by taking over and occupying the restaurant window where the pizza is sold. They covered the pizza window with a banner stating “Drop Palermo’s. Support the strike. Solidarity with workers.”

As the five students occupied the pizza stand, they were followed by the crowd that was rallying outside. The protest continued outside the pizza stand with YES leading chants such as “Hey hey, ho ho, Palermo’s Pizza’s got to go.” The event lasted two hours and ended after negotiations where the Associate Vice Chancellor announced to the rally that the pizza stand would be shut down throughout the rest of the summer.

The Boycott Coalition has been organizing actions on campus for the past nine months in solidarity with the Palermo’s workers who're fighting to get recognition for the Palermo’s Workers Union. The Palermo’s workers are primarily Latino and immigrant workers.

Palermo's is a frozen pizza company based in Milwaukee. Last summer the majority of its employees filed for the recognition of a union, to which management’s response was to fire the unionizers. As a result, around 180 workers walked out on June 1, 2012 and have been on strike ever since. Initially near 70 workers were fired for their attempts to unionize.

#MilwaukeeWI #ImmigrantRights #Boycott #YouthEmpoweredInTheStruggle #PalermosPizza #antiunionBusting

Milwaukee, WI- On Dec. 13, 40 student activists joined together for an action to escalate the campaign to end the selling of Palermo’s pizza on campus. The students held banners and signs reading “Boycott Palermo’s,” held mic checks and gave students passing by informational flyers on the boycott and strike.

The activists first took action in front of the Palermo’s stand in the food court and then proceeded to the dorms where the restaurant operations director recently moved his office. There, protesters performed mic checks and made statements demanding the removal of the pizza from the dorms. They finally made their way to the administration building, Chapman Hall. Unfortunately, Chapman Hall was locked down with security waiting, so the action took place outside of the building. The students then went back to the starting point to wrap up. Meanwhile, the Faculty Senate voted on and passed a strongly worded resolution to discontinue the sales of Palermo’s on campus. The university chancellor was in attendance at the meeting.

Since the Dec. 13 action and the passing of the Faculty Senate resolution, administrators removed the Palermo’s sign and changed the pizza marketing strategy. The signs at the stand now just simply state “Pizza” and they are selling both Palermo’s and Freschetta pizza. The price of Palermo’s pizza has been lowered to match that of Freschetta, which was originally sold at a separate location in the Union.

A couple of protest organizers talked to the manager to find out whether or not they will continue to sell Palermo’s once the inventory from this semester has run out. The pizza stand manager stated that they would continue to order Palermo’s products to allow customers to make the choice to buy scab-made pizza.

The removal of the Palermo’s sign is a victory since restaurant operations and administration have felt the need to discontinue the marketing of Palermo’s. However, because they are still ordering and selling Palermo’s products, the fight continues. On Dec. 20 and 21, organizers delivered letters to the director of auxiliary operations and restaurant operations staff, reminding them of the importance of removing the Palermo’s products and that the campaign will not end until they do so.

Youth Empowered in the Struggle and boycott coalition organizer Jorge Maya stated, “Although it was finals period, students gathered to make one last push for the campaign to get Palermo’s off of campus. The action had great impact it seems, they took down the Palermo’s sign, which is a small step [towards victory].” The UWM Student Boycott Coalition for Worker’s Rights plans on continuing the campaign throughout the winter break and next semester, until Palermo’s is finally off of their campus.

#MilwaukeeWI #Boycott #YouthEmpoweredInTheStruggle #PalermosPizza #UWMStudentBoycottCoalitionForWorkersRights

World must boycott the criminal government of Netanyahu

The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine issued a statement on April 1, 2009, rejecting the Netanyahu government as a government of terror, war and ethnic cleansing and calling upon the international community to boycott Israel and its government.

The PFLP statement noted that this government, like the Zionist state of Israel altogether, is based on the absolute repudiation of Palestinian rights to self-determination, return and an independent Palestinian state. The statement continued that this government should be rejected by all as incompatible with human rights and international law and is a government of a culture of crime.

The composition of the government, the statement continued, includes the notorious racist extremist Netanyahu as Prime Minister; Barak, the official director of war crimes in the Gaza Strip involved in the assassinations of Palestinian leaders in Beirut and Tunis and the murder of the heroic fighter Dalal Mughrabi; and the foreign minister Lieberman, the follower of Kahane, a fierce advocate of colonialism and settlements and an advocate of transfer and ethnic cleansing. In order to respect political, legal, ethical and humanitarian standards, the statement continued, the Arab states and the international community as a whole must boycott this government as a victory for justice and peace.

Comrade Jamil Mizher, member of the Central Committee of the PFLP, said that the extremist Netanyahu government plans yet more aggression against the Palestinian people, including the Zionisation of Jerusalem, the building of settlements and constant attacks. Comrade Mizher emphasized that it is more urgent than ever to achieve Palestinian national unity in order to confront this aggression. He noted that no Zionist government, despite all of its war crimes and attacks over 61 years, has succeeded in subjugating the Palestinian people, and that this one will fail as well.

#Palestine #PopularFrontForTheLiberationOfPalestine #Statement #Boycott #MiddleEast