Norway: Unions Mobilize Against Israeli War Crimes in Gaza

8 January 2009

Norway - historical mobilization against Gaza massacres - unions on political strike

A most impressive, EFFECTIVE solidarity with Palestine is sweeping Norway.

Demonstrations have now been held in at least 28 cities: Oslo, Stavanger, Sandnes, Fredrikstad, Trondheim, Hamar, Sortland, Namsos, Arendal, Norheimsund, Mosjøen, Bergen, Sarpsborg, Tønsberg, Harstad, Tromsø, Kristiansand, Notodden, Vadsø, Mo i Rana, Alta, Kirkenes, Røros, Volda, Halden, Gjøvik, Lillehammer, Selbu.

The numbers of participants have never been bigger.

Union activities:

POLITICAL STRIKE: Thursday ALL trains in the whole of Norway, and all trams and subways in Oslo, will stand still for two minutes as a result of a political strike organized by the Norwegian Locomotive Union and the Oslo Tram Workers Union in protest of the Israeli invasion of Gaza.

A large selection of Norwegian trade unions and organizations has endorsed a new campaign for the withdrawal of all State investments in Israel. The call is endorsed [so far] by 6 of the largest national trade unions.

The Union of Trade and Office Workers calls on all members to ask their employers to remove Israeli products from stores. The union is by far the largest union of workers in all types of private and public stores in Norway.

The Confederation of Norwegian Trade Unions (LO), with [approximately] 1/5 of the whole Norwegian population as members, condemns the Israeli bombing and invasion in Gaza and calls for demonstrations.

The Norwegian Church has protested Israel's invasion of Gaza and was, according to media, "called to the carpet" by the Israeli embassador.

22.000 supports the Facebook-group demanding the ambassador...be expelled from Norway. The Facebook-group has got attention in all major newspaper[s] and was hacked by a Zionist hacker-group but is now back on track.

31% of Norwegians support the boycott of Israel, in a survey by the pro-Israel tabloid VG today. The question was politicaly charged "Do you support the Socialist Left's boycott of Israel?" If not mentioning the Socialists the number would probably be much higher. The vast majority in all groups in the survey is against the Israeli invasion of Gaza.