Activists in the state of Spain acquitted for Boycott Israel action

Nine people, tried for disturbing public order in the action of boycotting Israel in the Price Circus, have been cleared.

The trial, in which nine activists were tried for an action carried out in June this year, lasted little over half an hour.

Despite the heavy police presence (local, national and secret forces) and security guards, on the 18th of October at 10.30 am around fifty people gathered to show support for those on trial, at the steps of the Plaza de Castilla Courts in Madrid, Spain.

In front of a placard reading: “Israel kills with impunity, actively boycott Israel”, two statements were read out. In the first statement, the group of the accused claimed the action, for which they have been put on trial, as part of a far reaching international campaign for the Boycott Israel. They declared their intention to continue participating in said campaign and expressed solidarity with about ten other activists who were put on trial in France for the same reason. In the second statement, the Solidarity Network against the Occupation of Palestine showed their support for the defendants and detailed the vast campaign of Boycott, Disinvestment and Sanctions against the State of Israel.

At the end of the gathering, the trial began. The activists recognized their role in the action, which took place on June 24th at the entrance to the Price Circus, in Madrid in which the conference Financing Innovation: The Israel Experience was to be held, and in which the activists wanted to protest against the existence of commercial events aimed at facilitating Spanish businesses investing in Israel. Sixty people participated in the action, only nine of whom were brought to trial, and whom incriminated themselves, as well as sixty more, in this trial. The court finally judged that the protest was within the participant’s right of freedom of expression and they were therefore acquitted.

The activists have demonstrated, despite everything, their intention to continue supporting the Boycott Israel campaign, for which there is a calendar of future activities, amongst which awareness raising days are being considered for next month.

http://www.boicotisrael.net