The International Day of Action to launch the boycott of Coca Cola was taken up by a number of groups with at least seven protest actions across the country, with news of more still coming in.
El dia internacional para el lanzamiento del boicott de Coca Cola ha sido adoptado por varios grupos en por lo menos siete acciones de protesta en distintas partes del pais, con mas informes veniendo.
The Colombia Solidarity Campaign group in Portsmouth had kicked things off the previous Saturday when they collected a thousand signatures from members of the public on a street stall.
El locale de la Camapana de Solidaridad por Colombia empezo el sabados pasado cuando recogio un mil de formas de meimebros del publico en la calle.
And the Campaign's rally in Piccaddilly Circus, a gathering point for tourists and young people in London's west end, this evening was a huge success. Hundreds of people listened to speeches and danced to samba rhythms as four 'waitresses' passed through the crowd offering Coke blood drinks.
Y la manifestacion de la Campana en Piccaddilly Circo, un punto de fiesta para las turistas y la juventud en el centro de la cuidad de Londres fue un enorme exito. Cientas de personas eschuaron a los discursos mientras baliaban a los ritmos de samba, y cuatro 'camareras' pasaban por la multitud ofreciendo bebidas de Coke sangre.
Earlier in the day a group from the Cardiff Anarchist Network took direct action. They entered Coke bottling and distribution plant in Edmonton, north London. One of the protesters locked himself to a lorry, some locked the plant's gates while others pressed emergency buttons to stop the production line. During the two hour production stoppage for the emergency services to arrive the protesters meantime talked to workers inside the plant to explain their action. And the paramedic who arrived to assist the protester locked to a lorry turned out to be a representative of public sector union UNISON and was completely supportive. The protesters were detained by police, but released after Coca Cola decided not to press the charge of 'conspiracy to commit burglary'. One protester overheard Coke managers saying over the police radio that £30,000 worth of output had been lost.
Mas temprano en el dis un grupo de la Red Anarcista de Cardiff hizo una accion directa. Ellos entraron en la planta de embottlemiento y distribucion de Coca Cola en Edmonton, ubicado en el norte de Londres. Uno de las activistas se encerro a una camion, algunos ecerraron las puertas de la planta mientras algunos metieron las alarmas para que las lineas de produccion pararan. Durante las dos horas del paro de produccion esperando para los servicios de emergencia a llegar, los que protestaban hablaban con los trabajdores explicando su accion. Y el paramedico que llego para ayudar al activista encerrado con el camion resultaba un representante del sindicato del sector publico la UNISON, y apoyaba completamente la protesta. la policia detuvieron las activistas, pero tuveiron que liberar ellos porque la empresa no quiso seguir con las cargas de 'la conspiracion a robo con allanamiento de morada". Un activista oyo por casualidad un gerente de Coke por el radio de la pocia decir que la empresa perdio £30,000 [150 million pesos] valor de la produccion.
In Hammersmith, also in London, another group called International Socialist Resistance held a picket of Coca Cola's UK headquarters. The groups reports protests in sevral UK cities, including Leicester, Newcastle, Manchester and Cardiff.
En Hammarsmith, en Londres tambien, otro grupo llamado La Resistencia Socialista Internacional hizo un piquete frente de la sede de Coco Cola en el Reino Unido. Este grupo informa sus protestas en varios cuidades incluyendo Leicester, Newcastle, Manchester y Cardiff.
Andy Higginbottom
Secretary Colombia Solidarity Campaign
Tuesday 22 July 2003
22nd July2003, International Day of Action, and Boycott Launch
Piccadilly Circus, London. 6pm.
24 Hardman Street, Liverpool, 7pm
N E W S R E L E A S E
Genetically Modified Coca-Cola gets two fingers from Totnes
But this is not the only reason there is an international boycott
of Coca-Cola products beginning today. Called for by Coca-Cola¹s
own workforce in Colombia, this action is to draw attention to the
policy of assassination of it¹s union leaders by paramilitaries
financed by the Coca-Cola corporation. (See leaflet)
This morning every retailer who sells Coca Cola products in Totnes
will have received a personal letter requesting their support for
this campaign.
While the national chains are unlikely to respond we hope to have
some influence with the smaller shops and cafes the town is known
for.
Public protest at 5.00pm outside the Tourist Information Centre coincides
with demonstrations in London and the rest of the world and will draw
attention to the official launch of the campaign. We will be singing
that song and providing information.
Can such an action succeed? Only after a consumer boycott in the 80¹s
was Coca-Cola forced into action to protect its workforce in Venezuela.
NOTES: a] Coca-Cola is produced using genetically modified maize
b] The company belongs to the
Morgan Group + Monsanto/Philip
Morris/Citibank
c] Issues: human rights abuses,
repression, water, racial
discrimination, resources
d] Affecting topical issues; GM
Debate, Obesity & diet, Globalisation
e] Did YOU know Coke was GM? Is
it labelled?
BOYCOTT COCA-COLA
The Coach House Cleavehurst Duckspond Rd Buckfastleigh Devon TQ11
0NL
email: [email protected]
UK campaign website: www.colombiasolidarity.org.uk