THE Glasgow neighbourhood of Govanhill has a long history of activism and resistance.
The 140-day occupation to save the Govanhill Baths from closure in 2001 is considered one of the longest in UK history. Govanhill residents were also instrumental in facing off against the Home Office during the now-famous immigration raid on Kenmure Street in 2021.
And now, the community is at the centre of a growing Scottish movement to boycott Israel amid its genocide in Gaza.
It’s called Apartheid Free Zones (AFZ) Scotland – an initiative launched by the Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign (SPSC) that is looking to sign up shops, restaurants, businesses, community organisations, and trade unions across Scotland to commit to BDS practices.
The Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement has existed since 2005. It was initiated by a coalition of more than 170 Palestinian civil society organisations in an effort to put pressure on the Israeli economy in the mould of the anti-apartheid boycott of South Africa.
Govanhill now has its own dedicated AFZ and has signed up 54 businesses so far, who are all now boycotting Israeli goods and services as well as international businesses that are profiting from Israel's oppression of Palestinians – from Coca-Cola to Puma and Airbnb.
“[A lot of] the community were already doing it. Places like Pakistani Street Food, Bangin Burgers – there's probably a few more that had already boycotted Coca-Cola, had already boycotted Israeli products and goods,” Miriam, one of the organisers, told me as we walked up Victoria Road.
Tony, another organiser, agreed.
“There's a lot of visible Palestine solidarity around the community, and we're basically trying to bring that together into a campaign for a boycott of Israeli goods across all of Govanhill,” he said.
“People know that they want to support Palestine and know that there's a long boycott lists of a whole range of products, and we're saying the most effective concrete thing you can do right now is boycott Israeli goods and other firms on the BDS list.”
Tony added: [Also] informing people about the things that are going to be the most effective in a targeted boycott and giving people confidence to do it as well because if you're a shop that's just started, you say, well, I want to support, but what good can I do by myself? We then tell them that we do this as a community.”
Examples of businesses in the area that have signed up include Cafe Peachy on Victoria Road.
In a post on Instagram, the business said they were “sickened, furious and heartbroken” at the ongoing humanitarian crisis worsening every day in Gaza.
The popular brunch spot added that it will be donating 5% of all its takings to the local Al-Khair Foundation, a charity which provides emergency relief and developmental support in Gaza and worldwide.
It also announced it will be implementing a full boycott of Israeli goods and firms on the BDS list.
The Sunday National also spoke with Sufyan, the owner of Bangin Burgers – another business that has signed up to the Govanhill AFZ.
“It's just a good initiative. The message they're trying to have, I think it's just really positive. The more awareness you bring, the more people are aware of what's going on [in Gaza], that's how you build unity around it,” he said.
“Obviously, I don't believe that my shop boycotting has the greatest effect, but I think with that mindset, you wouldn't get anywhere. Collectively, it does have an impact. Boycotting and signing up is just me trying to do my little part against the injustice that's going on over there.”
