Protesting Queen's Jubilee Blood Diamond Funding Samouni Massacre in Gaza
inminds 19 June 2012
Following an appeal from the surviving members of the Samouni family of Gaza, human rights activists held a protest on Sunday 17th June 2012 outside the Tower of London where the Steinmetz's Forevermark Diamond, presented to the Queen on her Jubilee, is on display. The Steinmetz company has adopted the notorious Givati Brigade of the Israeli Army which is guilty for war crimes in Gaza including the massacre of the Samouni family.
Protesting De Beers Forevermark Steinmetz Jubilee Blood Diamonmd at the Tower of London
29 members of the Sammoni family were killed by the Givati Brigade of the Israeli army during the Israeli assault on Gaza (Operation Cast Lead) in December 2008 – January 2009. 21 were killed in a single airstrike on a building in which the family were taking cover, and 8 others killed during the course of the 23-day-long attack. The Steinmetz diamond company has “adopted” a Unit of the Givati Brigade which it funded and supported during the brutal assault on the people of Gaza.
In an appeal, posted to YouTube, Helmi Sammoni, speaking from Gaza on behalf of the family said:
"On behalf of the surviving members of the Samouni family and the hundreds of other families in Gaza who have been killed by war crimes committed by the Givati Brigade of the Israeli Army, we are shocked and disappointed by the decision of De Beers to present the Queen of England with a diamond manufactured by the Steinmetz Diamond company -- a company which supported the Givati Brigade during the Israeli war on Gaza late 2008 as they murdered 29 members of our family in cold blood. We the Samouni family call on the Queen of England and the British people to decline this gift. We demand that De Beers be instructed to remove this offensive blood diamond display immediately."
Diamonds that generate revenue used to fund a regime guilty of war crimes are de-facto blood diamonds.
The activists called on De-Beers to show respect for the surviving victims of the diamond-funded Givati Brigade's actions in Gaza and remove the Forevermark Steinmetz Jubilee diamond from the Tower of London.
De Beers Forevermark Steinmetz Jubilee Blood Diamonmd leaflet
Protesting De Beers Forevermark Steinmetz Jubilee Blood Diamonmd at the Tower of London
They also called on Steinmetz Diamond company to end all support for and association with the Israeli military and to make reparation to the Samouni family and the other victims of the Givati Brigade's actions in Gaza during Operation Cast Lead.
The public showed genuine concern for the victims of such Blood Diamonds and were shocked to learn that Queen was embroiled in this scandal by her acceptance of a blood diamond. When a private security firm acting on behalf of the Queen's estate tried to remove the peaceful demonstrators the public gathered around in support until the security had to withdraw.
Giving out 'Boycott Israeli Blood Diamonds' leaflets
Steinmetz Foundation boasts of adopting war criminals
src: http://www.steinmetz-foundation.co.il/main.asp?sel_nav1=6&sel_nav2=46&sel_header=Others&cat=site
Description from Steinmetz:
"Steinmetz Forevermark Jubilee Pink:
This gigantic 35.60-carat pink diamond went up on display at the Tower of London
from June 1 to mark Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee."
After the protest outside the Tower of London, the activists moved further along the South Bank to set up stall at the Refugee Week celebration where they got a great response both from participants and wandering tourists.
Protesting De Beers Forevermark Steinmetz Jubilee Blood Diamonmd at the Tower of London
Protesting De Beers Forevermark Steinmetz Jubilee Blood Diamonmd at the Refugee Week celebration on the South Bank
During the holy month of Ramadan, as we move towards the Eid, I was going around Muslim shops in Tower Hamlets and elsewhere telling them that although they had collection boxes for the Mosque, although they had religious imagery in their shops, although they were selling dates to the faithful people to break their fast - the dates were made in Israel! They were stained with the blood of the Palestinian people! And Muslim shop keepers were selling them!