Israeli settlement produce importer Carmel Agrexco blockaded 9Nov09 November 12, 2009
Sabbah Report - 9 November 2009
On Friday, 6th November, pro-Palestinian activists carried out the first of what was to be three consecutive days of blockading at Carmel Agrexco‘s depot in Hayes, Middlesex. The action saw a coalition of students from Kings, UCL, SOAS and Goldsmiths, saw members from Anarchists Against the Wall and the International Solidarity Movement as well as other independent activists and individuals come together to implement the blockades. Each lasted a number of hours and sought to address not only Agrexco, but to emphasize to the companies that obtain their goods from Carmel, that they should consider alternative suppliers.
The activists seek to raise awareness of the UK’s continued role in the purchase of goods produced in Israel’s illegal settlements in the West Bank as well as Carmel Agrexco’s role in the sustenance of Israel’s illegal expansionist activities in Palestine. The blockaders have urged companies dependent on Carmel Agrexco’s supplies, and therefore inconvenienced by this and previous blockades, to seek out new suppliers and, in so doing, show that Carmel Agrexco’s continued support for Israel’s aggression in Palestine will not be allowed to continue.
At 6am on Friday the 6th November the first blockade was implemented. Having constructed cages from temporary fencing, protestors D-locked themselves inside and positioned themselves to block the two access roads to the depot. It was only fifteen minutes later that not only were police arriving onto the scene, but also the first lorry that was to be obstructed from enterring the premises.
The blockade held well initially however Carmel found a way of bringing goods out to the waiting truck using forklifts, thus circumventing the blockade. Despite efforts by support protestors to stand in front of the forklift trucks, and a to prevent the continuing effort by Carmel, the company managed to successfully fill the lorry and continue its business. Their success was not to last long however, with blockaders managing an impressive feat of trickery to manoevre the fence panels into a line to block the entire entrance. Despite this success, Carmel decided to close their gates, locking inside blockaders and four supporters. Police had supporters released whilst the blockaders were left trapped inside. Although this was initially still a calm state of affairs, as the eighth hour of blockading approached, Carmel workers started to become aggressive and began making physical and verbal threats to the blockaders trapped inside as well as to the supporters. The two policemen present ignored their duty of care, failed to prevent the aggression and similarly did not ask the Carmel staff to open their gates to be let in to offer any protection to those physically attached to the fences by their necks. They claimed Carmel had the right to use “reasonable force” to remove those on Carmel land, inicating when questioned that breaking their necks was consistent with “reasonable force”. As the aggression escalated and the safety of those trapped became a serious issues with five Carmel staff at liberty to encircle and intimidate the blockaders, keys finally became available for those inside to be released.
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