[Boycott - Other News]

Veolia AGM - BDS Action For Palestine

inminds
25 May 2011

On Tuesday 17th May 2011, ten BDS activists from the UK, from various groups including London BDS, Palestine Solidarity Campaign, the BDS National Committee, as well as Innovative Minds travelled to Paris to show solidarity and support for French BDS activists in their action outside the Veolia AGM.

Three French BDS groups had come together for the action: Association France Palestine Solidarite (AFPS), Campagne BDS-France and CAPJPO EuroPalestine.

Veolia has long been complicit in Israel's illegal occupation of Palestinian land.

Veolia is helping build and operate the Jerusalem Light Railway, a project which the UN Human Rights Council has declared is a "clear violation of international law". The tram line runs across stolen Palestinian land connecting illegal Israeli settlements to Israel thereby helping consolidate the occupation.

Jerusalem Light Railway

Veolia also runs bus services for Israeli settlers runing on apartheid highway 443 which is built on expropriated Palestinian land which until recently was totally barred to Palestinians.

Apartheid Road 443

Veolia's shameful crimes in Palestine also includes the Tovlan landfill site it operates in the occupied Jordan Valley where it helps Israel dump its toxic waste on to Palestinian land next to the Palestinian village of Abu Ajaj. The villagers now suffer persistent breathing problems and their animals have shorter lives and more still births are recorded.

Tovlan landfill site

The Veolia AGM was held at the conference hall in the Carrousel du Louvre, a shopping centre located in the Louvre Palace.

Inside the Carrousel, around 35 bds activists from France the UK united to inform Veolia's shareholders of Veolia's crimes in Palestine.

Whilst security personnel prevented banners from being unfurled and prevented filming of the action they did not prevent the activists from holding placards and giving out leaflets to shareholders as they entered the AGM.

In the AGM, shareholder after shareholder raised concerns about Veolia's actions in Palestine and the resulting loss of contracts around the word due to the BDS movement. Their questions dominated the AGM and received applause from the floor.

Veolia's chairman clearly shaken, abruptly cut the microphone, but it was too late. The BDS activists had succeeded, the message was out, Veolia's dirty secrets were out and Veolia's shareholders were asking questions and demanding answers.

Source: www.inminds.co.uk

Related Articles

Palestine Pete joins Bin Veolia Protest at the Natural History Museum Photo-report of the fortnightly picket outside the Natural History Museum to protest against Veolia's sponsorship of the Museums Wildlife Photographery Exhibition. Veolia is complicit in Israel's occupation of Palestinian land.

Veolia Greenwashing At Natural History Museum Photo report of protest against Veolia sponsorship of exhibition at Natural History Museum, also look at the route of Jerusalem Light Rail and Veolia's complicity in the Israeli occupation.

Russell Tribunal on Palestine: Corporate Complicity in Violations of International Law - What can lawyers in the UK do? Following on from the Russell Tribunal London session, a seminar by Lawyers for Palestinian Human Rights ask what can lawyers in the UK do to ensure corporations complicit in violations of international law be held to account. [full video]

Bin Veolia Protest at the Natural History Museum Photo report of protest againt Veolia's sponsorship of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2011 exhibition at the Natural History Museum. Veolia is complicit in Israels occupation of the West Bank.

Jordan Valley - Apartheid and Exploitation [Presentation in House of Commons] Brighton Jordan Valley Solidarity gave evidence of exploitation and ethnic cleansing by Israel in the Jordan Valley to the Britain-Palestine All Party Parliamentary Group of MPs at the House of Commons. Report includes full video.

Dump Veolia Protest at the Natural History Museum, London The Dump Veolia Campaign lead a demonstration outside the Natural History Museum to protest against Veolia's sponsorship of an exhibition at the museum. Veolia is complicit in Israel's war crimes with its support of the settlements.

Swansea City Council Ban Future Contracts with Veolia "Veolia, is.. to build a light railway system linking Israel to illegal settl1ements.. in contravention of international law. This Council therefore calls on the Leader & Chief Executive not to sign or allow to be signed any new contracts or renewal of any existing contracts with Veolia"

Church of England reviews stake in Israeli rail The Church of England is reviewing its investment in Veolia, a company building Jerusalem's light railway amid concern that the tramline "will help to cement Israel's hold on occupied east Jerusalem".

Georgetown University - Student urge divestment from Israel Student group Georgetown, Divest! presented their case for University divestment from companies that profit from human rights violations in Israel and Palestine.

Also Of Interest

No To Normalisation With Apartheid Israel - London Projection On 18 Sep 2020, Inminds, IHRC and Bahraini activists held a guerilla projection on Marble Arch to condemn all normalisation with apartheid Israel, in particular the agreement signed by UAE, Bahrain and Israel.

Join the annual International Al Quds Day 2020 #FlyTheFlag #AlQudsDay2020 Join this years Al Quds Day, which due to the Covid-19 pandemic will be held online on 22nd May 2020.

De Beers Dropped From Environmental Award Following Protest, Is Hypocritically Reinstated One Week Later De Beers was spectacularly dropped from Positive Luxury's 'Positive Environmental Impact' award shortlist, and its Forevermark diamond brand stripped from the Butterfly Mark list after Inminds protested De Beers human rights violations. But a week later Positive Luxury hypocritically reinstated De Beers and Forevermark.

Protest Demands Positive Luxury Drop De Beers From Environmental Award On 21 Feb 2020, Inminds held a vigil outside the offices of Positive Luxury to demand they reconsider their outrageous decision to shortlist serial human rights abuser De Beer Forevermark diamonds, for an award for “Positive Environmental Impact.�