This morning, we paid a little visit to the government department that’s been trying to ban BDS. It

This morning, we paid a little visit to the government department that’s been trying to ban BDS. It won’t surprise you to know that we weren’t happy about their plans.What they’re doing is an attack on everyone who doesn’t want their money to fund colonialism, human misery and murder, and ecological destruction. But we can win this fight if we work together!See below for our fancily-worded press release…Campaigners held a ‘smoke and mirrors’ themed protest at the Department for Communities and Local Government today to protest the British government’s attacks on local government taking ethical procurement and investment decisions.The moves are obviously aimed at the growing Palestinian Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement but could have far reaching impacts on local democracy and could also make it harder for local councils to take divest from fossil fuel companies and the arms trade and take other ethical stances.London Palestine Action, with various activists from groups dealing with climate change, arms manufacturing, and Holocaust memory, held silver placards and lit flares, held banners and distributed leaflets to staff at the government department. The protest had a smoke and mirrors theme to highlight the problems with the steps the government is taking.Layla White, 24, a spokesperson for London Palestine Action, said: “The Tories are using smoke and mirrors to smear the huge numbers of people who support the Palestinian liberation struggle and to bully local councils into thinking that they can’t take ethical procurement and investment decisions.” “The Tories are carrying out an outrageous attack on local democracy in order to shield Israel from being held to account for its system of apartheid, and ongoing settler colonialism, with brutal consequences for the Palestinian people. “This is about protecting Israel from criticism because it’s an important military and trade ally. They’re prepared to go further than anything Thatcher did to support apartheid South Africa.”Dan Glass, organiser for Never Again Ever!, said: “As a descendant of Nazi Holocaust survivors I was proud to stand with London Palestine Action this morning to protest loudly and clearly against damaging restrictions on boycotting the illegal Israeli occupation of Palestine.”“Israel is engaging in systematic human rights abuses of the Palestinian people and as a Jewish descendant of Nazi Holocaust survivors I say ‘memorialisation without action is part of the problem,’ and that local councils must be able to take the steps necessary to put Holocaust memory into political practice, such as through breaking with unethical companies that profit from the Israeli occupation.”Alun Cledwyn, an activist with Fossil Free UCL, said: “The fossil fuel divestment campaign is a fast growing international movement that has resulted in divestments totalling over $3.4 trillion dollars. Saying these divestments “poison and polarise debate” is a barefaced attempt to curtail any progressive counter-narrative regarding the climate crisis.““The Government’s attempt to restrict divestment campaigning, besides being clearly undemocratic, is a form of greenwash that ironically ‘poisons the debate’ on genuinely confronting climate change.”The UK government has not directly banned BDS. Rather, campaigners argue that the government is trying to mislead public sector officials with “smoke and mirrors.” It is allowing the UK Cabinet Office’s Policy Procurement Note, published on February 17, to be seen as a ‘boycott ban,” in order to scare campaigners and local councils. The guidance simply restates the existing legislation and doesn’t prevent councils from excluding companies like G4S that profit from the occupation through public contracts. Campaigners say the government is trying to mislead public sector officials by presenting the guidance as a ‘boycott ban’. Similar guidance regarding public sector pensions is currently being prepared by the government. More than 26,000 have written to the government urging it not to restrict the power of local councils to divest from companies that abuse human rights or the environment. Newcastle City Council passed a unanimous resolution promising to fight the government plan, while MPs, councillors, trade union leaders, and a number of high profile artists and public figures signed an open letter in opposition.Helpful links:Read more about what the government’s ‘boycott ban’ really means: here and here from War on Want; an Electronic Intifada post; or this Red Pepper blog by CAAT.This is being pushed because it’s a priority for Israel (Outlawing Israel boycott in Europe revealed as key AIPAC goal) largely because of successful BDS work (e.g.), and it goes hand in hand with their other lawfare work.You can download high resolution photos of the action -- source link

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