The Portland chapter of pro-Palestinian social justice group Boycott, Divest, Sanction staged an action at the NE Portland New Seasons last week. To criticize New Seasons for not boycotting Israeli products, the group organized a Lady Gaga-inspired flash mob dance protest.
Here’s the video:
Did anyone see this happen? I have a call for a response in to New Seasons, but I would be surprised if they go along with the boycott.
I hope they understand that Soy Vay is not an Israeli product.
Complete, unadulterated (but locally sourced!) idiots.
That kid in the hoodie seems pretty thoroughly unimpressed.
Why don’t they go protest at a local synagogue?
http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&q=synago…
By living in the US and paying taxes, our fine protesting friends are also supporting Palestinian apartheid.
It’s also something of a misnomer to assume that all Israeli companies sold at New Seasons support the Palestinian apartheid.
I’m with you guys so far as Palestine needs to be acknowledged as a sovereign nation with all the rights and privileges afforded as such, but our friends here just come across like smarmy idiots and their antics likely do more damage than good for their cause .
I appreciate your commitment to a cause, I really do. Best of luck. Let me know if you get the store to crack. I’ve been protesting the Arbor Lodge New Seasons’ awful, awful hotplate on a weekly basis using a similar dance routine (albeit with a bit more pop and lock) only to be repeatedly stonewalled.
Everyone knows that the official dance for Palestinian-Israeli peace is krump.
I quit my Jewish Community Center a few years back in protest.
But damn, that was a sweet ass gym.
“By living in the US and paying taxes, our fine protesting friends are also supporting Palestinian apartheid.”
That’s one persuasive point you’ve got there.
Boycott the product. Sure. But the store that’s supplying it? Meh. Stores shouldn’t take political stances this way, they should supply goods that people want to buy.
the store will take a political stance when enough people threaten their bottom line. It happened in the 80s with S. Africa boycotts.
Stuff like this serves far more to galvanize the opinions of the protesters than to actually persuade everyone. I doubt anyone in that store changed their mind, but the dancing kids must have felt great about themselves going home that day.
I agree R^3+3. That’s actually a really great point. All this did for me was make me wonder if New Seasons sells organic gefilte fish.
So these people don’t buy products made in the U.S.A. right? I mean, we’re also on stolen land.
That was not a very form of protest, but it did make me giggle. So earnest.
A group of self-important Portlanders strike a crushing blow for Palestinian freedom.
American citizens have a hell of a lot of nerve and hypocrisy to protest any other country’s imperialistic or military policies, esp. toward a bordering piece of land that is that country’s immediate concern.
you have to be kidding you protested new season? The same products are at wal mart my friends but I think you know if you went there you wouldn’t come back
Did I walk in to the comment section of an OregonLive article?
building awareness.
You know what’s stupid? Flash mobs.
I kind of understand what they’re on about, but I think there’s a better way to offer up their argument with a more persuasive rhetoric.
Flash mobs are SO last year.
Those were some sweet made-in-China t-shirts that flash mob was sporting.
I’ll be driving the extra couple miles to shop at New Seasons this week instead of Whole Foods. Thanks for raising awareness!
define irony: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M14ZtnD7LHc
The Jewish population in Portland is extremely unrepresented: we don’t have a single Kosher restaurant or food store. New Seasons is one of the only places in town that sells Jewish products. The situation in the middle east is much more complicated than a Flashmob, which, if successful, will not change the dynamic between Israel and Palestine, but only further make Portland Jews feel a need for a Jewish state, where we are free to have products that represent our culture.
Nearly everyone in the video is white. Why not boycott American-made foods, since we’ve oppressed the Native Americans?
This is great! Love it.
Boycott.
Don’t mind the haters. They don’t want people to do anything!
http://pdxbds.wordpress.com/
http://www.cpt.org/cptnet/2011/06/17/beit-ummar-twenty-one-mature-grapevines-cut-near-beit-ummar
my boycott new seasons youtube promos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=playe… /
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pxmZluhQV0 /
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=playe…
filmed live @ pioneer square, july 31, 2011
@ video 1: you get about 30 seconds for improvising the whole thing – and there are directions involved – it’s hard to talk so fast – and even harder to listen to me talking so fast. this is what i think i said (o:
new seasons market – markets themselves as “the friendliest store in town” – new seasons market is not friendly! new seasons censors art; they refuse to boycott/divest/sanction israeli apartheid (free palestine!); new seasons owns a factory farm where unhappy cows are drowning in their own excrement*, new seasons had me falsely arrested while violating my free speech rights; i say boycott new seasons! resist! (o: [* shit]
anarchy and peace! kristin