News / protest
Demonstrators call for supermarket to pull Israeli produce
A group of protesters gathered at a Sainsbury’s on Wednesday afternoon calling for the chain to remove Israeli goods from their stores.
The demonstration on Winterstoke Road in Ashton took place at the same time as the supermarket’s chief executive Simon Roberts was on site with other investors and executives.
The protesters, who were members and supporters of activist group Bristol Apartheid-Free Zone, read letters to the retail chain’s senior executives and distributed flyers before being removed from the store.
A spokesperson for Sainsbury’s told Bristol24/7 that the company does not source from the Occupied Palestinian Territories and labels products with their country of origin “to help customers make informed decisions about their purchases”.
Members of Bristol Apartheid-Free Zone handed out leaflets to supermarket customers – photo: Susie Long
Addressing Roberts, they said: “We are calling on you to stop stocking Israeli produce.
“You have been trading with Israel as they carried out a genocide in Gaza, according to a UN independent commission, and throughout their illegal occupation of Palestine.
“Act now to reassure your customers that shopping in Sainsbury’s will not make them complicit with the crimes of the state of Israel.”
Members of the group also distributed flyers and leaflets at the stores entrance, asking shoppers to check where their produce comes from.
View this post on Instagram
Arthur Holt, a protester speaking to Bristol24/7 on behalf of Bristol Apartheid-Free Zone, said: “We’re horrified by what Israel is doing and the ongoing genocide, ongoing apartheid.
“But we know that these things are only able to continue because they have the backing of countries like the UK, and also because companies don’t take action and essentially justify their actions by carrying on trade.
“We want people to feel like they can do something, and boycotting is a really tangible thing that they can do.”
In a statement to Bristol24/7, a spokesperson from Sainsbury’s said: “We recognise that the humanitarian impact of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East is deeply distressing and the strength of public feeling surrounding it.
“We follow UK Government guidance on business relationships and sourcing practices, do not source from the Occupied Palestinian Territories and clearly label our products with the country of origin to help customers make informed decisions about their purchases.”
Main photo: Jenna Baker
Read next:
Our newsletters emailed directly to you
