Amid cheers and chanting from 40 Northern Rivers Friends of Palestine (NRFOP) activists on August 28, Byron Shire Council adopted an Ethical Procurement Policy. It mandates council to boycott all companies operating in illegal Israeli settlements.
NRFOP won the council over through an extensive lobbying and petition campaign under the slogans 鈥淣ot in our name 鈥 not with our money鈥 and 鈥淣o rates for war crimes鈥.
NRFOP鈥檚 Subhi Awad said: 鈥淥ur community, and communities across this country, do not want our money going to bombing hospitals and killing kids. It鈥檚 another clear signal to the government that we want sanctions on Israel and another huge win for the boycott movement.鈥
The adopted motion was a compromise. Greens councillors Elia Hauge and Michelle Lowe fully supported and moved NRFOP鈥檚 motion mandating council to boycott all companies listed in United Nations鈥 Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese鈥檚 recent report, . Hauge said 鈥減eople here don鈥檛 want their rates funding companies that demolish homes, displace families, or profit from killing civilians鈥.
However, Labor Councillor Asren Pugh foreshadowed Hauge and Lowe鈥檚 motion with one that was similar but replaced Albanese鈥檚 list with a shorter 2020 UN list of companies. Pugh鈥檚 motion was carried.
NRFOP welcomed the council taking the step and pledged to continue campaigning for all councils in the region to fully divest from all companies complicit in Israel鈥檚 war crimes.