Sunday Aug. 25 from 1-3 at the Easthampton River Valley Co-op., 228 Northampton St, Easthampton, MA
Community Teach In
Dear supporters of an apartheid free River Valley Co-op,
Our petition to the River Valley Co-op to de-shelve Israeli made and sourced goods has garnered 650 signatures, with 305 signatures from member owners! We delivered our petition to the RVC Board of Directors (BOD) asking for a meeting to discuss our proposal. We have not heard anything from them, despite asking for a response within a week.
We need to put pressure on them to take our demands seriously. Please attend our Community Teach-In for Palestine, and write to the RVC General Manager (GM) and Board of Directors (BOD)--details below.
The petition organizing committee is holding a Community Teach In on Sunday Aug. 25 from 1-3 at the Easthampton River Valley Co-op. Please meet at the Lyman Road entrance to the Co-op at 1pm, before we head over to the publicly available indoor and outdoor tables. We’ll be tabling about our campaign and the broader BDS movement and will provide educational activities for all ages. Come to learn, get involved, and send a clear message that our community rejects the continued oppression of the Palestinian people. Masks are strongly encouraged and provided at this event. More access information is available here.
The GM and BOD need to hear from us individually about why we demand an apartheid free River Valley Co-op. Find their email addresses and a sample email below. Even a short, simple email is effective.
Thank you for taking action here and now to demand our community reject complicity in genocide and apartheid.
In Solidarity, Apartheid free River Valley Co-op Organizing Committee - Instagram post: Western Mass SURJ (@wmsurj) • Instagram photos and videos
(Sample email) To the River Valley Co-op Board of Directors and General Manager,
I am writing to advocate for an apartheid-free co-op and community. I request that River Valley Co-op remove all products made in or sourced from Israel from your shelves. Stocking these products enables the continued oppression of the Palestinian people.
I value the presence of RVC in our community and enjoy shopping at the co-op. I know the co-op supports many of the values that I hold most dear, including justice, safety and equity for all people. Please continue to embody these values by deshelving Israeli made and sourced products. This is a small, relatively easy action we can take to be in solidarity with the Palestinian people and to end the brutal violence in Gaza and all of Palestine.
Sincerely,
(Name, Member-owner number, if applicable)
Send to:
info@rivervalley.coop, agetmanskillicorn@rivervalley.coop, bcohen@rivervalley.coop, gschaefer@rivervalleymarket.coop, wendymesserli@rivervalley.coop, abrewer@rivervalley.coop, eappelquist@rivervalley.coop, sarahabigailaxe@rivervalley.coop, adsouza@rivervalley.coop, ewoebbe@rivervalley.coop, rochelle@rivervalley.coop