Report of London BDS action: No Valentine for Israeli blood diamonds
On Saturday 4 February 2012, members of the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign joined London human rights campaigners in Hatton Garden, the centre of London’s jewellery trade, to raise awareness among shoppers and jewellers about the continuing sale of Israeli blood diamonds.
Note: A similar action is taking place in Dublin this weekend on Saturday 11th February. See here for details.
Israel is one of the world’s leading manufacturers and exporters of cut & polished diamonds which generate more than US$ 1 billion (about UK£ 600 million) a year for the Apartheid State. Many jewellers falsely claim Israeli diamonds are “conflict-free” which is totally unjustified, given Israel’s blatant violation of international laws.
Campaigners successfully engaged with and distributed flyers to both shoppers and jewellers informing them why they should avoid purchasing diamonds that were processed in Israel.
Large, colourful banners reading “ISRAELI BLOOD DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER…ON YOUR CONSCIENCE” and “DON’T ENGAGE WITH ISRAELI BLOOD DIAMONDS” were also displayed that attracted attention from both pedestrians and motorists.
Sean Clinton, a leading campaigner against Israeli blood diamonds and one of the activists present said:
“While there is some public awareness about the trade in blood-tainted, rough diamonds from Zimbabwe, the media in general ignores the far larger trade in blood tainted diamonds from Israel.
According to evidence presented at the London session of the Russell Tribunal on Palestine last year, the Israeli diamond industry generates about US$1 billion in funding for the Israeli military each year. So when someone buys a diamond from Israel they are helping to fund war crimes and other human rights violations in Palestine.”
WHAT YOU CAN DO
- Urge people who are shopping for jewellery not to purchase a diamond that was processed in Israel. Diamonds that are cut and polished in Israel help fund war crimes, apartheid and oppression.
- Find out more in Sean’s Electronic Intifada article here.
- Visit the Boycott Israeli Blood Diamonds Facebook page.
Report and photos first published by London BDS (05/02/2012)