Boycott Veolia – a fortnight of action

The Boycott VEOLIA Campaign – A Fortnight of Actions In February

The campaign against Veolia is intensifying. This follows the Russell Tribunal on Palestine findings that Veolia is liable for serious violations of international human rights and humanitarian law.  There is an added urgency because Local Authorities in both South and North London are currently considering Veolia for major contracts.

For more information about Veolia and why it is a key target of the Boycott Divestment and Sanctions Campaign see here.

A number of activities have been organised in February and so we have a fortnight of actions on Veolia. Please support these and circulate details of the events widely.

Protest at Veolia HQ in Islington: Tue 1 Feb 4.30pm
This protest is to make people aware of what Veolia are getting up to in occupied East Jerusalem and West Bank and our aim to exclude it from contracts in London. We’ll be holding signs, such as “Veolia Toxic Wasters”, wear T-shirts with “Bin Veolia!

Profiteering from Palestinian Sufferings” and bring bin bags addressed to Veolia with a message to bin its business serving illegal Israeli settlements.

Veolia HQ: 154A Pentonville Rd, Islington N1 9PE

Buses: 30, 73, 205, 214, 476 or a short walk up the hill from King’s Cross

Organised by the North London Veolia Action Group

____________________________________

Protest at : Sat 5 Feb 1.30pm-4.30pm

Veolia is sponsor of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year Exhibition. We held a very successful action at the same place in October and were able to engage with the hundreds of Saturday afternoon museum-goers.  This time we will have an outdoor display produced by Richmond and Kingston PSC about Veolia and its activities in Occupied Jerusalem and the West Bank. We will be handing out leaflets and postcards.

The Natural History Museum, South Kensington SW7 5BD
Organised by:  West London and Richmond and Kingston PSC branches (Exhibition Road entrance)

(Please also consider attending the fortnightly protest outside the Ahava store in Monmouth Street Covent Garden -which is on the same day from 12am- before the Veolia Natural History event if you can)

____________________________________

Protest at Veolia HQ in Islington: Wed 9 Feb Lunchtime 1pm- 2pm
The protest will focus on Veolia’s complicity in the transport and dumping of waste from Illegal Israeli settlements onto the Tovlan landfill which is in the West Bank. We are asking everyone to bring along a refuse sack – filled with some old newspapers say- so that we can lay the bags on the steps of Veolia’s HQ (or at the front gate if the gates are shut to us) . We will provide a simple large  A4 label  to staple to each bag reading  ‘To Veolia – Stop Your Illegal Dumping of Waste on Palestinian Land’.

We will of course take photos and video the event . Hopefully we can spark copycat actions elsewhere. This is a joint event organised by PSC, ISM and other solidarity activists

Veolia HQ: 154A Pentonville Rd, Islington N1 9PE

Buses: 30, 73, 205, 214, 476 or a short walk up the hill from King’s Cross.

____________________________________

‘Silent’ Protest at NLWA meeting: Wed 9 Feb 3pm

Residents from the 7 North London Boroughs will be wearing ‘Bin Veolia’ T-shirts with the UN resolutions and Articles regarding Israeli settlements and transfer of civilian population written on the back. At the NLWA [North London Waste Authority] meetings* Councillors are deciding whether Veolia is considered for the Waste and Energy contracts.

Camden Town Hall Town Hall, Judd Street London WC1H 9JE [a very short walk from Kings Cross and Euston].
Organised by: North London Veolia Action Group [NoVAG].

____________________________________

‘Silent’ Protest at SLWP meeting: Thu 17 Feb 6:30pm

Residents will hold a ‘silent’ protest at the next SLWP*** (South London Waste Partnership) Joint Committee meeting*.

The meeting will be held at Merton Civic Centre, London Road, Morden, SM4 5DX

Oranised by: South London Bin Veolia.

* The meetings are open to the public where they can listen in on proceedings during the public session.  Any commercially confidential discussions around the procurement are held in private and the public will be asked to leave the meeting while these take place.
We might be allowed to express our views via deputation. Leafleting is also considered.

** NLWA covers the London Boroughs of Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Hackney, Haringey, Islington and Waltham Forest

*** SLWP is a joint initiative between Croydon, Kingston upon Thames, Merton and Sutton council.