Veolia AGM - BDS Action For Palestine [inminds.com]

On Tuesday 17th May 2011 10 BDS activists from the UK, from various groups including London BDS, Palestine Solidarity Camapign, 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 Israels illegal occupation of Palestineian 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 therby helping consolidate the occupation.

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

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.

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 out Veolia's dirty secrets were out and Veolia's shareholders were asking questions and demanding answers.

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• Veolia
• Palestine
• Israel
• BDS
• London BDS
• Palestine Solidarity Camapign
• BDS National Committee
• Innovative Minds
• AFPS
• Campagne BDS-France
• CAPJPO
• EuroPalestine
• Jerusalem Light Railway
• apartheid highway 443
• Tovlan
• Abu Ajaj
• Carrousel du Louvre

[xerojreffaj]

Veoila have bid for a £485million household waste disposal contract for the NW/West london boroughs of Harrow, brent, ealing, hillingdon, hounslow and richmond upon thames. if you live in these boroughs please write to your council expressing your opposition to the bid and explaining why. google 'big campaign veiola' for more info on their crimes. thanks!

[salimalam]

Great video and action. Veolia Management and shareholders can be in no doubt that the company's business in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem is being opposed by well informed and determined activists from the international movement for Boycott Divestment and Sanctions

[MrAlexSeymour]

Super film. Companies like Veolia, Agrexco and Elbit operate globally and need to be fought globally. Cooperation between BDS groups throughout Europe and the US will strengthen the campaign and will be essential if ultimately Palestinian freedom and statehood is to be achieved. Thanks for bringing back these beautull images of Paris and of the indefatigable and courageous French campaigners whose laws make supporting the boycott of Israel in France so difficult.