https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/irish-republican-group-vandalise-coca-cola-christmas-display-in-joys-entry-in-palestine-protest/a1436365425.html

A popular Christmas display in Belfast which is sponsored by Coca-Cola has been vandalised by pro-Palestine activists over the ongoing crisis in the Middle East.
The Christmas decorations line Joy’s Entry in the city centre and are owned by The Jailhouse and Henry’s Bar which are both situated down the entry.

The decorations – which are well-known spots for people to take snaps for Instagram – feature a number of Coca-Cola advertisements.

Lasair Dhearg are a Republican activist group and claimed responsibility for the incident, which they said they carried out to “highlight the role of Coca-Cola and other businesses in the ongoing genocide in Palestine.”

In statement on social media, the group said: “Coca-Cola, in sponsoring the Christmas decorations in Joy's Entry once again, are attempting to whitewash their role in this genocidal project.

They operate multiple bottling plants in occupied Palestine including in the illegal settlement of Atarot, the largest industrial park in Jerusalem, the Palestinian capital.”

The group added while Coca-Cola want people in Belfast to “share their Christmas spirit” Lasair Dhearg claimed they wanted to share images of “the horrors of Gaza this Christmas and the countless children who haven't lived to see another one."

"In boycotting Coca-Cola and companies like them we are helping to boycott genocide and bring an end to Zionism, one small step at a time,” they added.

Some of the stickers and signs protesting the drink brand placed along the entry said: “Boycott Coca-Cola”, “Free Palestine” and: “There is no Christmas in Palestine.” The Jailhouse Belfast and the PSNI have both been contacted for comment.

by WrongdoerGold1683

31 comments

  2. It’s actually good to know that. Never knew they run bottling plants on stolen land.

  3. While Michelle O Neill flys business class, at our expense so she can have dinner with the man who provided those bombs and funding for Isreal!

  4. Er, what do they want here exactly? How will these Palestinians’ lives be improved if Coca Cola close their factory and they lose their jobs?

    >“There is no Christmas in Palestine.”

    *facepalm*

  5. Thank you Lasair Dhearg for letting me know another company to boycott. I have boycotted McDonalds since last year, and I’ll add Coca Cola to the list.

    Running bottling plants in illegal settlements is wholly unacceptable, especially for such a rich company. Their greed knows no bounds.

    It’s important this time of year to remember the sort of violent Israeli apartheid a baby born in Bethlehem has to endure this Christmas in 2024.

  7. These lot sound like bags of fun at Christmas.

  9. Coca Cola historically have zero morals, as a way to do business with the Nazis they rebranded to Fanta, also a friendly reminder that the Irish government also done business with Nazis during the same time period, anyway it’s just a poster in an entry in the town so it is nothing really to see here so there’s not.

  11. I don’t think it’ll affect Coca Colas worldwide sales, but fuck Coca Cola.

  13. These fucking chicken hawks are real courageous – attacking locally owned businesses in Belfast who received a bit of money for a sponsored display.

  14. Definitely no Christmas in Palestine. Muslims don’t celebrate it. 

  15. They should be protesting really about the shocking amount of plastic coca cola produces globally.

    They led the industrial charge away from more sustainable glass bottles in 1994. They are now the biggest producer of plastic pollution in the world.

  17. Pointless boycotts won’t achieve a single thing.

  18. I find the best form of protest makes you think and will stay with you for years.

    Everyone just rolls their eyes when people do shit like this.

  19. When did Joy get her Xmas vajazzle and how did she get it sponsored by Coke?

  20. To be effective you’ll need to boycott the central bank , oh wait that meNs all banks ..support the ethos but they are just trashing nothing effectively

  21. So I did some research on how they operate in Israel in the West Bank.

    They’re operated by the National Beverage Company in Gaza and the West Bank .They operate 4 production plants and distribution centers in Ramallah which spoiler alert is not part of the Israeli zone of the West Bank.

    They also employ about 1 000 Gazans at their bottling plant in Gaza. Again not in Israel proper. The company was started by Palestinian Businessmen and The Israeli Coca Cola company is operated by a completely separate distribution partner.

    I need to ask, with all due respect and seriousness, how does Coca Cola Hellenic have anything to do with the events in the Middle East?

  23. “vandalise”

    Wise up BelTel 😂.

    They made it look better anyway.

    Coca Cola have joined the official boycott list. It’s almost impossible to fully boycott it given how pervasive their presence is but it’s still worth boycotting to send a message that operating in illegal settlements in a regime engaged in genocidal violence should not be tolerated.

  25. ‘vandalize’ 😂 Huge respect for Lasair Dhearg for their efforts to highlight the disgraceful behaviour of Coca-Cola and all the bars and restaurants in Belfast still stocking their products.

  26. Oh wow the ira have ramped up their protests !

  27. Not hard to see this ‘newspaper’ has fckd up priorities.

  28. Most BTEC level of activism going, they know it’ll change fuck and they know nothing will get done against them.

  29. Kids not knowing wars take lives typical brainwashed when young hypocrites to when ira killed innocent lives here

  30. 🤣 provos for Palestine. What is it about republican culture that just wants to destroy everything they don’t like?

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