"While The Bombs Are Dropping..."; Pro-Palestine Demonstrations In Amsterdam's Shopping Mall (image@ SistersUncut)
Pro-Palestine demonstration took place at one of Amsterdam’s biggest shopping mall, De Bijenkorf. The demonstration called for the boycott of brands like, Dior, Chanel, L’Oreal and Puma, that are alleged to be complicit in the Israeli genocide in Gaza. Audio messages and pamphlets were dropped onto the shoppers while they were busy for the Christmas shopping. The incident happened on December 23.
The audio message said, “dear shoppers, welcome to Bijenkorf. This Christmas season, we invite you to stop shopping while the bombs are dropping. Over 20,000 people in Gaza were killed this winter season funded by your tax money. When you but brands such as L’Oreal, Chanel, and Dior, you make sure Israel can continue its genocide on Palestinians. And while you have been searching for the perfect gift, Israel has killed six children every hour, sic children every hour. In the last two and half months, 8,000 children have been killed. Show your solidarity with the oppressed people of Palestine. Educate yourself on the genocide. Speak out to your friends about the occupation. Christmas is cancelled. Drop Your shopping bags and boycott the brands that power Israeli genocide on Palestinians. boycott L’Oreal, boycott Dior, boycott Chanel, boycott Puma. From river to the sea, Palestine will be free
The pamphlets that were dropping over the shoppers read, “this is how the oppressive Israeli Army notifies Gazans of their imminent death by dropping papers over their heads”. Videos from the shopping mall is going rounds on social medial platforms now. The work is said to be done by “workerforpalestine.nl”, a Netherland based group that advocates for Palestine”.
View this post on Instagram
Pro-Palestine supporters has been calling out for the immediate ceasefire in Gaza. Christmas shoppers were confronted by the protesters who urged the shoppers not to purchase from Israeli linked brands. Hundreds of shoppers in Central London were urged by the pro-Palestine supporters to quit shopping from Israeli linked fashion brands. Around 400 demonstrators in London grouped outside the Puma store chanting “shut it down”.
The protesters waved Palestinian flags, played music and let off smoke in red, black, green and white that represented Palestinian flag. Another shopping centre that got the wrath of the protesters was Zara, which made headlines earlier this month for their controversial advert that had images which resembled the tragic scenes of Gaza. Two branches of Zara was targeted, where the protesters shouted, “Zara, Zara, you can’t hide, stop supporting genocide”. The security guards shut down the stores in order to keep it safe. The protest in London was organized by Sister Uncut, which campaigns against the gender-based violence.
The protesters chanted “Free Palestine” while distributing leaflets that read, “No Christmas as usual in a genocide. The UK is complicit”, “don’t fund genocide in Palestine. Boycott Israel”.
