Pro-Palestine campaigners have turned up in their hundreds to a Tesco branch in the small County Down seaside town of Newcastle, protesting disciplinary action being taken against a worker who refused to assist in the sale of items from so-called ‘Israel’. The man, who wishes to remain anonymous, objected on the basis that the proceeds from such items go to fund the Zionist entity’s genocidal onslaught against the Palestinian people.

The action from Tesco management had first been highlighted in a post on the social media page of local activist group Mourne for Palestine, whose name is a play on words using the name of a notable nearby mountain range. Alongside the statement can be found more wordplay, with Tesco’s slogan remixed to say “Every little helps genocide”. The group said:

Today’s protest was organised by direct action group BDS Belfast, with activists pouring in from across Ireland, recognising the significance of a worker taking such a stand. A strong union presence was visible, with representatives from Unison, the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), and union-linked solidarity group Trade Union Friends of Palestine among those in attendance. The action from the worker represents the most noteworthy instance of this form of defiance in the North of Ireland since the Zionist settler-colony began its campaign of mass murder over two years ago.