[Boycott - Cultural] London Protest Exposes Puma Complicity In Apartheid War Crimes, Condemns Israel's Killing Of Prisoners
inminds 21 September 2019 London protest outside Puma flagship store demands Puma respect Palestinian rights and end complicity in Israel's war crimes #BoycottPuma
On Friday 20th September 2019, Inminds Human Rights Group protested outside Puma's flagship store in Carnaby Street, in the heart of London's shopping precinct, to demand Puma stop its complicity in Israeli war crimes by ending its sponsorship of apartheid Israel Football Association (IFA). The IFA includes football clubs based in the illegal Israeli settlements, and plays its football games on stolen Palestinian land in the West Bank, all of which are war crimes under the Fourth Geneva Convention.
Just over a year ago on 10th September 2018, over 215 Palestinian sports clubs called on Puma, the world’s third largest sportswear manufacturer, to respect Palestinian human rights and cut ties with the Israel Football Association. The call was callously ignored by Puma.
Inminds chair Abbas Ali said "We are here to tell Puma that there is a price associated with standing with apartheid. Their complicity in Israeli war crimes will cost their brand dearly. We are here to ask Londoners to help Puma make the right decision by boycotting their products until they respect Palestinian human rights. "
The letter from the Palestinian football clubs was read out at the protest. The supportive public snapped up 500 leaflets in no time.
The protest was also in solidarity with Palestinian prisoners who have died under Israeli custody, including Bassam Sayeh who was killed last week by Israeli medical neglect.
London protest outside Puma flagship store demands Puma respect Palestinian rights and end complicity in Israel's war crimes #BoycottPuma
London protest outside Puma flagship store demands Puma respect Palestinian rights and end complicity in Israel's war crimes #BoycottPuma
London protest outside Puma flagship store demands Puma respect Palestinian rights and end complicity in Israel's war crimes #BoycottPuma
Speech On Palestinian Prisoners Killed In Israeli Custody
Israel denied Fares Baroud family visits for the last 18 years of his life.
His elderly mother, Rayya Baroud, was not allowed to visit her son for nearly two decades.
Despite her frail health condition, every week, month upon month, year upon year,
Rayya would walk to the office of the International Committee of the Red Cross in Gaza City,
holding her son's framed photo, she would beg the Red Cross to pressure Israel
into letting her see her son, and to demand his release..
Last year, at the age of 85, Rayya passed away without seeing her son again.
Her last wish was to hug her beloved son before she died.
We are here today to condemn Israel's abuse of Palestinian prisoners which has resulted in 221 Palestinian prisoners dying in Israeli occupation prisons since 1967.
The latest Palestinian prisoner to die in Israeli custody was 12 days ago. On 8th September 2019, Bassam Sayeh was killed in Israeli custody by medical neglect. Bassam worked for "Falesteen" newspaper in the West Bank when he was abducted by Israeli occupation forces in 8th October 2015 and imprisoned. Despite being severely ill with leukemia and bone cancer, and having suffered a heart attack, he was shackled - both his hands and feet, right up until he died.
Israel's mistreatment of sick Palestinian prisoners is a calculated policy of slow execution through deliberate medical neglect, denial of treatment, and constant abuse.
Two months ago, on 16th July 2019, 31 years old Palestinian prisoner Nasser Taqatqa was found dead in his isolation cell after being tortured for nearly a month. He had been taken to Israel's notorious Al Jalame torture den for interrogation on 19th June 2019. Following 'harsh' interrogation he was sent to solitary confinement at Nitzan detention centre to die in isolation.
Despite his weakness and visible signs of medical need, he was denied medical treatment and the Israeli prison authorities refused to remove him from solitary confinement, claiming he was being “punished.” He was subjected to cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment amounting to torture under interrogation. His autopsy showed he had succumbed to acute pneumonia, his hands and feet showed clear signs of shackling during his interrogation.
Earlier this year, on 6th February 2019, another Palestinian prisoner, Fares Baroud, died in Israeli custody.
51 year old Fares Baroud from the al-Shati refugee camp in Gaza was abducted and imprisoned in 1991. Baroud was one of the prisoners that was meant to be released in 2013 as part of the prisoner exchange deal Israel agreed to with the Palestinian Authority. Instead, Israel violated the agreement, refusing to release the final 30 prisoners named, including Baroud.
Instead of being released, Baroud was caged by the occupation for 27 years. Much of that time he spend in solitary confinement- the last was for 4 consecutive years between 2011 and 2016, which lead to the deterioration of his health condition.
Israel denied Fares Baroud family visits for the last 18 years of his life. His elderly mother, Rayya Baroud, was not allowed to visit her son for nearly two decades. Despite her frail health condition, every week, month upon month, year upon year, Rayya would walk to the office of the International Committee of the Red Cross in Gaza City, holding her son's framed photo, she would beg the Red Cross to pressure Israel into letting her see her son, and to demand his release.
Fares’s father died when Fares was still a child. His mother Rayya, who remained unmarried after the death of her husband, dedicated her life to raising Fares. They lived together in a small home in the Shati’ Refugee Camp in Gaza before the Israeli occupation abducted him, 27 years ago.
Last year, at the age of 85, Rayya passed away without seeing her son again. Her last wish was to hug her beloved son before she died.
The International Committee of the Red Cross is to be condemned for failing to take action and hold the Israeli occupation accountable for its violations against Palestinian prisoners, their inaction emboldens the occupation to continue its crimes against the prisoners.
Out of nearly 6000 Palestinian prisoners caged in occupation dungeons, there are approximately 700 sick Palestinian prisoners, including 160 seriously ill with chronic diseases who require specialized treatment and 25 with cancer. Their medical neglect is a war crime under the Geneva conventions. Companies like Puma who ignore Palestinian suffering and support the illegal occupation are complicit in these war crimes.
Shame on Puma!
Free the prisoners!
Free Palestine!
#BoycottPuma #BDS
GALLERY
#
Source: www.inminds.com
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