As many as eight anti-Israel activists were arrested yesterday outside Israeli-owned Ecostream in Brighton, on England’s south coast. Ecostream belongs to Sodastream, which has a factory on the West Bank. Although Sodastream employs many Palestinians the anti-Israel lobby prefers to see the factory destroyed along with the livelihoods of Sodastream’s Israeli and Palestinian workforce.
Every Saturday anti-Israel activists flock to Ecostream to call for its boycott. They are always met by the stoical counter-protesting of Sussex Friends of Israel. Yesterday, however, the anti-Israel activists were swelled by the presence of Palestine Solidarity Campaign affiliated trade unionists from the NHS, NUT, GMB, NUJ and the University of Brighton.
But tempers rose and not before long the number of anti-Israel activists was depleted as protester after protester was led away to the back of a police van. A heartbreaking sight, indeed.
Then the police issued a “section 14” meaning both sides were kept apart and liable to arrest should anyone step outside their own zone. The remaining anti-Israel activists were restricted to the other side of the busy road opposite Ecostream and could, therefore, hardly be heard or seen for the remainder of the protest. Ecostream’s supporters stayed close to the shop.
Ecostream itself is a magical store. You can buy products that allow you to make your own carbonated drinks and you can refill your own bottles there with anything from honey, to olive oil to washing up liquid. Basically, cut down on your use of bottles and help the environment. Refilling is also vastly cheaper when there is no bottle to pay for.
Those of us who journeyed from London and other parts of England were very warmly received by Sussex Friends of Israel. Thanks to Harvey for driving a car load of us from London. It was good to see friends and meet new people and I also bought some lovely Palestinian olive oil from Ecostream.
Meanwhile, here are photos and footage of the action and photos from inside the Ecostream shop itself.
The first clip shows two of the alleged arrests and the second shows two trade unionists explaining how the presence of so many different trade unions protesting against Israel should make those supporting Israel “question themselves”. Well, that’s certainly an unbeatable argument if ever there was one:
Well done friends of Israel!
Congratulations to Sussex Friends of Israel for their successful action against the local and national bigots.
Inspirational , an example for us all to follow to stand up and be counted. Weakness and fear only invites stronger aggression .
Thanks Richard for showing us that action can achieve results which puts to shame those who say otherwise..
Good that you took photos of the antisemites, they need to be named and shamed. As an NUJ member, I am deeply worried about how many loony left (or rather loony right masquerading as left) call themselves “journalists”.
The ‘Green’ party is brown-black, as I always say when their canvassers come knocking on my door.
Leah, as I have posted further down, given who runs the local council and who the local MP is, Richard Millett should write to them. I personally have long since given up on the Green Party due to its illiberalism and its support for the apartheid ideology of ‘multiculturalism’.
Great blog, Richard.
Have you posted it on Facebook yet?
Arik
The almost hysterical response to Clarksen deliberately not saying the N word is in stark contrast to the way that anti-semites are allowed to say deliberately anything thing they want with impunity.
Excellent post Richard and a great day especially seeing so many haters being led away by the police to waiting police vans . They started off all noisy and confrontational but by the end their numbers were reduced and their protest muted . Most had slunk off well before the end while Sussex Friends ‘ partied on ‘ long after the official finish . The shop had a great day too .
Sussex Friends Facebook wall . Lots of videos including the arrests . One of their mob , a charming fellow aptly called Dick was carted off by the police for the second time in a month . Hopefully two strikes and your out rather than three
https://m.facebook.com/pages/Sussex-Friends-Of-Israel/521248807933259?id=521248807933259&refsrc=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fpages%2FSussex-Friends-Of-Israel%2F521248807933259
Great to see the journalists admit that they are incapable of objective reporting when it comes to Israel! Finally!!!
Exactly, the legend is finished for them. How can they pretend to any objectivity when they support the destruction of Israel. They would say whatever lie it takes to reach that goal.
Did they arrest Glenda too?
Here’s a tweet from Jessica Nero aka Therezia Cooper full time BDS activist , anarchist , Corporate Occupation and general waste of space spinning a disastrous day at the office .
https://mobile.twitter.com/ThereziaCooper/status/462704956924256256
Police working a double shift processing inbound low lives .
Therezia Cooper,
HAPPY ETERNAL NAKBA!
May all your JIhads turn into personal Nakbas!
With a reply putting the waste of space in her place …
Chant this:
From the River to the Sea,
palestine Will Never Be!
SodaStream employs Arabs. There are no ‘Palestinians’.
Must use some word to distinguish between Judea-Samaria Arabs and Israeli ones.
Where’s the problem? J&S Arabs. West Bank Arabs.
Might as well call Jews who live in Japan “Japjews”, if you go down that path (except that Japan exists and ‘Palestine’ doesn’t).
Fantastic, Richard, Simon, Harvey, Sussex Friends! And Edward, I’m spotting you now and again. Great!
The Sussex Friends of Israel seem very imaginative and fun (and committed)
To Simon and SFI Sorry we could not be with you on this weekend but we shall see you again soon from all at BAFI Bournemouth Action For Israel
Richard Millett should write to Caroline Lucas MP and the Guardianumpty Green Party (nowadays mostly indistinguishable from the rest of the fraudulent ‘liberal left’), which runs the local council to ask for their opinions. Ecostream is the type of business that they would usually be want to be seen to support, but is it no longer ‘politically correct’ for them to do so?
It seems that Lucas was asked to help [a local business] that is being bullied by thugs, but she replied that she agreed with the bullying.
Anyone know what Gert was upto yesterday afternoon?