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Boycott Isn’t Just One Day – It’s a Process

28/01/10

As previously reported (Nationwide Protests for Palestine), when the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign called, éirígí not only listened, it acted.

On Saturday, January 16, the IPSC called a Boycott Israeli Goods National Day of Action. The call was put out far and wide that, on that day, all concerned people and parties should mobilise throughout Ireland with the aim of encouraging a complete consumer boycott in support of Palestine.

The idea of a boycott is a familiar one to these shores, indeed, the very term was coined in late 19th century Ireland. It was then that a ruthless Captain Charles Boycott, a British land agent, mercenary and general strong arm for an absentee landlord met with the moral indignation of the local populace.

Inspired by the Irish Land League’s campaign in opposition to exploitation and appropriation, the local population withdrew their labour, goodwill and services. Charles Boycott was soon rendered useless. Through a morally principled campaign, the local population ensured that he was left to languish in absolute isolation and that, until justice was done, they determined that he would sell nothing, buy nothing nor receive anything.

In the end, the campaign defeated Charles Boycott, at least, and he was forced to flee the country.

The principled tactic of ‘boycotting’ had formally arrived.

So, when the IPSC made the call for a boycott, éirígí activists from across Ireland and others took to the streets to make the case for one.

One year on from the last major assault by zionist forces, when close to 1,400 Palestinians were slaughtered and many more were seriously injured, éirígí activists sought to convince the public to boycott all Israeli goods, in line with calls from Palestinian civil society and the Irish Congress of Trade Unions.

However, éirígí activists in Belfast have recognised that a boycott, if is to be effective, is not something that can be done in a day, it’s a process. If it is to be successful in denting the racist apartheid state of Israel, it must be sustained.

Thus, on January 16 and in the days that followed, éirígí activists in Belfast visited a number of major retailers in the west of the city, retailers that continue to stock Israeli goods.

Letters detailing the horrific nature of the occupation of Palestine and the racist policies of the occupier, Israel, were delivered to management along with an explanation and justification for a process of boycott. The retailers were asked to “immediately undertake a review of the products it stocks with a view to ensuring that no Israeli goods are on sale in west Belfast”.

éirígí Belfast has pledged to follow up on these requests. The process has begun and pressure will be sustained.

For its part, éirígí has signalled its intention to keep Palestine at the top of its agenda and having answered the call of boycott it in turn puts the call out – Boycott Israeli Goods!

Click here to read the letter that was delivered to west Belfast businesses. >>

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