Coup against H&M will be reported to the police

9 September 2010 [original report in Swedish]

Criticized for establishment in Israel – Price tag calls for boycott

HELSINGBORG. H&M is criticized for the decision to open stores in Israel and has been exposed to a coup on the clothing price tags, on which consumers are encouraged to boycott the clothing giant. Now H&M is reporting the event to the police.

Several price tags on different articles of clothing in H&M”s store in Helsingborg have today been exposed to vandalism and a call to boycott the entire brand. A new sticker has been glued on the regular price tag with the message to boycott the store as they plan to open seven stores in Israel.

“We are many who demand that H&M should abort their establishment in Israel. If you also support solidarity with Palestine, you should choose to shop somewhere else. Solidarity is free. Boycott H&M.” This extract is one paragraph of the new “price tag”.

Hí¥can Andersson, press contact at H&M, knows about the event and according to him the company will file a report to the police concerning vandalism.

– We know that this has been done in a few stores and on a few articles of clothing. We remove the tags in the stores when we discover them. We view it as vandalism and will submit a report to the police, says Hí¥can Andersson.

Exactly which stores and how many he does not know. Neither does he know how common it is that H&M stores are exposed to this type of event.

H&M also says it has received wishes from customers to open stores in Israel and in a statement from Hí¥can Andersson they say, amongst other things, the following:

“We lean against authorities like the UN and they do not have sanctions against conducting business with Israel. We also follow the EU”s trade directive. The feedback we have received concerning our establishment is very positive and there has for several years been requests from customers that H&M should open in Israel.”

The boycott [call] in its entirety

“Israel is today criticised more harshly than ever for the occupation of Palestine. At the same time, H&M chooses to open seven stores in that country and thereby fund and profit from the occupation. We are many who demand that H&M should abort their establishment in Israel. If you also support solidarity with Palestine, you should choose to shop somewhere else. Solidarity is free. Boycott H&M”

“That is what they said about the apartheid regime in South Africa too”

10 September 2010 [original report in Swedish]

The network behind the coup against Hennes & Mauritz defends its action

HELSINGBORG. Despite the threat of a police report, the message is clear from the network behind the action against Hennes & Mauritz.

– We will continue this kind of action against companies that do business with Israel no matter what the consequences will be, says one member of Isolate Israel”s local group in Helsingborg.

Isolate Israel is a network of groups and individuals that support Palestine”s struggle for freedom by, among other things, encouraging people to boycott companies that do business with Israel.

– One way to get Israel out of Palestine is to boycott Israeli goods. Our actions perhaps do not make so much of a difference that we can see the change with our own eyes. But we want to raise an opinion for a change in the future, says the member.

Why H&M?

– People must be made aware that they are supporting a company that is opening more and more stores in Israel. By shopping at H&M, consumers are supporting Israel, a country that has been found guilty of many crimes against human rights.

H&M is defending its investments in Israel with the fact that there are no UN sanctions against the country. What is your view on this?

– That is what they said about the apartheid regime in South Africa too, before sanctions were introduced against them. If one supports a country that kills and oppresses, then someone must react, says the member of Isolate Israel.