Voices for Palestine Echo Through Bournemouth as Protesters Target Global Corporations.
Bournemouth, UK – In a passionate display of solidarity, the streets of Bournemouth were filled with the voices and banners of the Pro-Palestine Solidarity Group protesters. Their first protest of the year targeted various multinational companies for alleged complicity in war crimes and genocide against Palestine.
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| Pro-Palestine Protesters in Bournemouth. Photograph by: Dorcas Abiade |
The march, titled "They are complicit" saw a significant turnout as protesters voiced their concerns and called for the boycott of three different brands, McDonald's, Starbucks, and Zara.
Recall that the war between Gaza and Israel escalated back in October 2023. This was when Hamas-led Palestinian militant groups initiated a surprise attack on Israel. Israel responded by launching a counteroffensive, resulting in thousands of casualties on both sides. Throughout the conflict, there have been global protests which consistently called for a ceasefire and the release of hostages.
The Pro-Palestine protesters in Bournemouth took a different approach with their latest protest. They came out not only to seek a ceasefire, but to also call for the boycott of multinational brands allegedly involved in supporting the ongoing war.
With protesters chanting slogans like: "Free Palestine", "Cease Fire Now", “Stop Killing Children” and “Israel is a terror state” amongst others.
The march saw protesters gathered at the Horseshoe Common, traversing through the Bournemouth town center and reaching the doorsteps of their targeted brands; McDonald's, Starbucks, and Zara. Dorset Police was present to supervise the walk to avoid clashes with any opposition.
The first call for a boycott was outside McDonald's, with accusatory chants. "Boycott McDonald’s, Nobody here should be giving 1 penny to McDonald's, McDonald's supports Genocide." This was spurred by a report suggesting that certain McDonald’s branches in Israel have been providing complimentary meals to the Israeli defence forces.
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| The Pro-Palestine Protesters At McDonald’s in Bournemouth Town Centre. Photograph by: Dorcas Abiade |
The throng of protesters moving towards Starbucks criticized the coffee giant for suing the Starbucks Workers Union (SWU) over a pro-Palestine tweet. Chants resonated, also calling for the boycott of Starbucks.
The throng of protesters moving towards Starbucks criticized the coffee giant for suing the Starbucks Workers Union (SWU) over a pro-Palestine tweet. Chants resonated, also calling for the boycott of Starbucks.
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| Pro-Palestine Protesters At Starbucks in Bournemouth Town Centre. Photograph by: Dorcas Abiade |
The protesters took their final boycott protests to the Zara fashion store. They criticized the fashion brand's advertising campaign that featured mannequins with missing limbs and what seemed to be a mocking representation of Gaza bombing victims. The marchers branded the advert as disrespectful and called for their boycott.
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| Pro-Palestine Protesters At Zara in Bournemouth Town Centre. Photograph by: Dorcas Abiade |
Amidst slogans and drums, we spoke with one of the organisers, Bilal Yasin who stated emphatically;
“We will certainly not back down from the protests. Whether by rallying on the streets or boycotting brands supporting Israel, we will make our voices heard. The genocide against the people of Palestine must stop. To achieve this, we must hold everyone accountable, from those in power to anyone turning a blind eye or supporting the attacks on Palestine.”
Efforts to obtain comments from the protested brands were unsuccessful, as they all declined to make a statement. However, we spoke with an ardent shopper at Zara, Rachael Fripp who disapproved of the boycott, she said:
"You can't just ask people to stop using a brand because you feel offended by something. They have made amendments and apologised. The continuous call for the boycott is ridiculous.”
The protest ended with a return walk to Horseshoe Common.
