[Reader-list] Global Boycott Update

[Lehar ..]

Dear Friends
Kudos to the Times of India for their People fopr
Peace camopaign, which has 
on their front page- corporate ads against the
genocide in Iraq. ( 
www.timesofindia.com)

Due to a large number of queries on this issue, here
is some more 
information on the gathering momentum of the global
'Boycott Genocide'/ 
Brand America' movement.
Perhaps the only way out of this quagmire. The world's
last 'great' empire 
was brought to its knees by the decades long
Boyycott/Swadeshi movement in 
the land of the Mahatma Gandhi.

--

The German restaurant boycotts of American products
started small but spread 
rapidly after the Iraq war began on Thursday. The
conflict has struck a raw 
nerve in a country that became decidedly antiwar after
the devastation of 
World War II, which it initiated.

"If people all around the world boycott American
products it might influence 
their policies," said Jean-Yves Mabileau, owner of
L'Auberge Francaise.
The boycotts appear to be part of a nascent worldwide
movement. One Web 
site, www.consumers-against-war.de, calls for boycotts
of 27 top American 
firms from Microsoft to Kodak while another,
www.adbusters.org, urges the 
"millions of people against the war" to "Boycott Brand
America."

Although boycotts are nascent, having a negligible
impact on business, 
sources say that corporate America could lose upto 8.6
billion dollars per 
week( ie 1.3 bn dollar per day) if the global
consumers decide to spread the 
boycott throught the 40 million strong global anti war
movement. 
Establishments linked to the United States and the
American way of life such 
as Starbucks, Dunkin' Donuts, McDonald's and Coca-Cola
reported no major 
business impact from the protests.
Chandler declined comment on whether it was hurting
sales

Despite such statements, consumer fury seems to be on
the rise. 
Demonstrators in Paris smashed the gear to move in to
protect staff and 
customers of the American fast-food outlet. The
attackers sprayed 
obscenities and "boycott" on the windows.
windows of a McDonald's restaurant last week, forcing
police in riot
In Indonesia, Iraq war opponents have pasted signs on
McDonald's and other 
American food outlets, trying to force them shut.

In the Swiss city of Basel, 50 students recently
staged a sit-down strike in 
front of a McDonald's to block customers' entry, waved
peace signs and urged 
people to eat pretzels instead of hamburgers.

Anti-American sentiment has even reached parts of
Russia, where some rural 
eateries put up signs telling Americans they were
unwelcome, according to an 
Izvestia newspaper report.

A German bicycle manufacturer, Riese und Mueller GmbH,
canceled all business 
deals with its American suppliers.

"Americans only pay attention when money is on the
line," said director 
Heiko Mueller, whose firm buys $300,000 worth of
supplies from half a dozen 
American firms each year.

"We wanted to make a statement against this war and
told our American 
partners that unless they renounce what their
government is doing we won't 
do any business with them anymore."

The German restaurant boycotts of American products
started small but spread 
rapidly after the Iraq war began on Thursday. The
conflict has struck a raw 
nerve in a country that became decidedly antiwar after
the devastation of 
World War II, which it initiated.

"If people all around the world boycott American
products it might influence 
their policies," said Jean-Yves Mabileau, owner of
L'Auberge Francaise.
Free Press business writer JAMIE BUTTERS contributed
to this report. Contact 
him at 313-222-8775 or butters at freepress.com.


Boycott Brand America
http://www.adbusters.org/

Because I am one of the millions of people against the
war;
And because the American government has made it clear
that it won’t listen 
to world opinion;

And because the symbols of American power are its
corporations and their 
brands;

I hereby pledge to boycott Brand America, from the
moment the war begins and 
to the best of my ability until the empire learns to
listen.
--

Operation Liberate Yourself From Brand America has
begun. Check your head 
and gauge your rage. Is it in you to boycott the
lone-gun superpower? Add 
your name to the list and help get a million
signatures for the Boycott 
Brand America pledge.

http://www.consumers-against-war.de/caw.htm

People in the whole world are holding their breath.
Once again we are forced 
to witness a cruel and illegal war of aggression.

Bush and his government have dismissed every
objection, they have ignored UN 
resolutions and the protest of the people in the whole
world, as they have 
been obsessed with their aim: taking hold of the oil
wells in Iraq.

People in the whole world are holding their breath -
if they keep on doing 
it for too long they will suffocate.

LET'S THERFORE TAKE A DEEP BREATH AND THEN CRY OUT
LOUD!

Let's go on protesting and demonstrating! Let's go on
boycotting American 
products and thus the American economy, which is
responsible for this war. 
Let's show America that we won't take this breach of
international law! 
Let's put up a united front of independent and
self-confident people, whose 
protest cannot be ignored!







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