Today O’NEILL’S has agreed to remove PUMA products from their shelves. Puma is a lead sponsor of the ISRAELI FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION and a major target brand for the Boycott Divest Sanction (BDS) campaign.
The victory was reported by Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign Derry (DERRY IPSC), DerryNow and People Before Profit Cllr Shaun Harkin.
Derry workers and residents have been screaming out to stop Israel’s genocidal assault on Gaza. And Palestinians in meetings with People Before Profit have consistently asked for activists to back BDS campaigns and call for a ceasefire.
IPSC DERRY’S Facebook reported:
‘O’Neills Derry, have taken pro active steps to #BoycottPuma and remove every single PUMA product from their shelves. We thank them for doing this and taking a stand with us as we #givepumatheboot … On that basis, we will now focus our attention to Sports Direct, Foyleside in the hope that they will follow the leadership of O’Neills.’
Details of the plans show DERRY IPSC are moving the protest to SPORTSDIRECT FOYLESIDE at 1pm SAT. 11/11/23.
DerryNow reported representatives from Derry IPSC said: ‘This is the second major local victory for the BDS movement in recent months, with Home Bargains also removing Israeli goods from their shelves.’
Cllr Harkin said, ‘Israel’s genocidal assault on Gaza is not relenting. The IDF has killed more than 11,000 people there since October 7, including 4,500 children.
‘The US, Britain and the EU to their everlasting shame have endorsed this slaughter, defended it and funded it.’
Ordinary people across the world are responding to the barbarism they are witnessing by mobilising in unprecedented numbers to demand an end to it.
Palestinians have called for those opposed to what Israel is doing to step up the campaign for BOYCOTT, DIVEST and SANCTION against Israel.
Puma is a major global corporation complicit in apartheid and a strategic target of the BDS campaign.
People Before Profit have long called for O’Neill’s to stop stocking the Puma brand at all their stores.
In response to a planned IPSC protest, the Derry O’Neill’s store has made the decision to remove Puma items. With the success there the campaign will move its focus to locally to SportsDirect and to other branches of O’Neills.
Harkin noted ‘People Before Profit welcome this decision and commend all the workers for standing with Palestine and against an inhumane onslaught. We urge more workers to do the same.
‘Let’s spread the boycott of Puma and other corporations complicit with Israel’s crimes to every corner of Ireland just as we did to end apartheid in South Africa.
‘Grassroots people power is the key to forcing an end to Israel’s genocidal slaughter.
‘We need to build up pressure on all companies to remove Israeli brands. We urge the Irish Congress of Trade Unions to defend all workers refusing to handle apartheid Israeli products. We demand the Irish government expel the Israeli ambassador immediately.’
