5 December 2014

Supermarket to face Palestinian rights protest in Hamilton

We, the Palestine Human Rights Campaign Waikato, are staging actions at Pak n Save and other outlets which sell Israeli goods, as a way of raising awareness about the ongoing gross violations of Palestinians human rights which are carried out by the state of Israel. Palestinian civil groups have called upon the world to support their non-violent struggle for justice through a campaign of Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (the BDS Campaign), and we wholeheartedly support this just and noble cause.

New Zealand played a key part in the ending of Apartheid in South Africa and we must continue this proud tradition by supporting all non-violent initiatives directed at ending the discrimination against and violent oppression of the Palestinians.

Those Palestinians within Israel are treated as second class citizens, and those in the occupied territories live under a harsh military dictatorship in which children are arrested and held without trial and Palestinians are routinely murdered by the Israeli Defence Forces with complete impunity. Bishop Tutu has described the inhumane and brutal treatment of Palestinians by Israel as worse than conditions under Apartheid.

The US has used its veto to protect Israel from international condemnation for its illegal practices on 40 occasions and provides 3 billion in aid to Israel annually, but the tide of world public opinion is turning. BDS can play a key part in bringing justice to the Palestinians who have seen their homes and land stole, and been driven from their land only to end up in refugee camps , or, worse still, under an inhuman military dictatorship as maintained by Israel.

There will be a nonviolent supermarket boycott action at Mill Street Pak n Save Hamilton at 1200 on Sunday 7 December 2014.

ENDS

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