If only the governments of the world would do their job — but they’re not, except perhaps one or two, so we do what we can. Here’s the latest from Hastings PSC
A nurse from Hastings is fighting a charge of criminal damage to a brand of houmous which he says is ‘helping to fund Israeli genocide’.
Father-of-two Chris Dindar – dubbed the #Houmous1 – will plead not guilty to a charge of criminal damage relating to a peaceful protest at a Sainsbury’s supermarket where he called for a boycott of Sabra houmous when he comes before Hastings Magistrates Court next week.
‘This is a ridiculous charge brought on behalf of a private company to quell peaceful protest against the genocide Israel is carrying out in Gaza,’ said Chris.
Chris, 55, says he was moved to take action after seeing images of ‘children’s bodies shredded by bombs’, aiming to highlight the fact that Sabra’s parent company Strauss Group is openly funding the Israeli military.
‘People need to understand where their money is going,’ he said. ‘Sabra has direct links with Israel’s Golani and Givati brigades, which are responsible for some of Israel’s most horrific war crimes. It is shameful we have supermarkets in town selling their products.’
Sabra is partly owned by the Strauss group, an Israeli multinational food and drink corporation which states that part of its approach to corporate responsibility is to provide Israeli soldiers with “support, to enhance their quality of life and service conditions, and sweeten their special moments”.
Katy Colley, Chair of the Hastings & District Palestine Solidarity Campaign (HDPSC), said: ‘Chris is a deeply humane individual who has campaigned hard this past year, like so many of us across the country, to try stop this appalling genocide which has now claimed over 42,000 Palestinian lives.
‘We see this outrageous prosecution as part of a coordinated campaign to silence the voices of conscience in this country.
Three other Hastings activists are being prosecuted for their part in a peaceful protest General Dynamics arms factory in this town, which is profiting from the death of thousands of Palestinians.
Chris has started a fundraiser to help with legal costs for the case, which will be heard at 11am at Hastings Magistrates Court on Wednesday 23 October, but says that whatever the outcome, he will continue to draw attention to companies ‘complicit in the genocide and illegal occupation of Palestinian land’.
‘I’ve been part of the solidarity movement for well over 15 years and I’m not going to stop now, he added. ‘I will keep protesting and standing in the way of genocide because that is the only decent response to this carnage.
‘What is going on in Gaza right now is horrific, criminal and, seemingly never-ending – we all need to do everything we can to stop Israel from claiming more lives. We can start by boycotting all Israeli goods and products, especially Sabra houmous.’
Please click here to donate to Chris’s legal fundraiser.
And if you’re in or near Hastings, see you on Weds 23rd at 11am at the Magistrates’ Court.
Here we are on a previous day out to support anti-genocide activists!
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Kay Green 