Carmel Agrexco and Cargoflora Blockaded
Published:
February 07, 2010 16:54
by
indy
Neighbourhoods: hayes middlesex
Carmel Agrexco and Cargoflora's depots in Hayes Middlesex was blockaded early this morning. The distribution depots gates were blocked by protesters using D-Locks and Hares' fencing.
Carmel Agrexco is a partly Israeli state owned company, the largest exporter of agricultural produce from Israeli settlements in the West Bank. Cargoflora is a British company which has, reportedly, been handling Agrexco's imports and provides freight services for Israeli flowers which are produced in Westbank colonies.
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Cargoflora staff used force to remove protesters blocking their gates. While the police looked on workers wrenched open the metal gates, which were still D-Locked to the necks of the activists.
Both companies are processing large amounts of Israli flowers, and flowers from the occupied territories this Valentine's period. Israel has eased its siege on Gaza specifically to allow the export of flowers to Europe through Israeli companies, who make a tidy profit out of the captve economy. Roughly 450,000 flowers have been passing through the Gaza crossings each week, bound for the UK, Holland and other parts of Europe. Agrexco's flowers are also sourced from the occupied West Bank.
For more info on Cargoflora see http://www.corporatewatch.org/?lid=3515 .
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First impressions (personal)
Published: February 07, 2010 18:06
by
reposter
The blockades certainly proved the connections between Carmel Agrexco and CargoFlora.
The police maintained a small presence at Carmel- unlike Cargoflora. Presumably as more and more disgruntled drivers could find nowhere to unload, staff at CargoFlora turned nasty.
With police refusing to intervene, staff dragged the first gates open with protesters still D-locked to them. At the second gate, "supporting" protesters struggled to stop them doing the same- and cutting one of the D-locks- with protester still attached, with bolt croppers.
To start with, the cops stood and watched. Pretty soon though they steamed in and pulled us away from the gate, to let the CargoFlora staff drag the gates open, again with people still delocked on. One of the women was shortly after being checked out in an ambulance with what appeared to be wiplash.
Lorries were filmed arriving at Carmel, and shortly after parking up in CargoFlora.
Some while later, back at Carmel, a very civilised police cutting team chopped Dlocks off those at one gate, and drove off, evidently not bothered the other gate was still blockaded. The action ended shortly after.
No suprise that- as usual -nobody was arrested at Carmel. Significant that the same was unexpectedly true at CargoFlora. Evidently their efforts to avoid having to give disclosure in court continues!
A thoroughly revealing day, if seriously painful and traumatic for some.
The struggle against the importation of goods from the illegal settlements is not going to go away.
Ted.
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Police watch as violence used against Cargoflora blockaders
UPDATE - Police are allowing staff at Cargoflora to use force against campaigners blocking their gates in protest against their import of Israeli flowers for Valentine's Day. Two activists who were superglued together had their hands ripped apart and staff were able, while police cleared the area, to wrench the metal gates, which were D-Locked to the necks of the activists open.
Staff tried to cut the D Locks on the second gate then tried to open the gates with people's necks still attached. Supporters resisted but were repelled by the police. All but one activist has now been removed and one is receiving medical attention
The Agrexco blockade is still holding strong.