U.S. legal victory for BDS movement

 Published on 09 April 2014

 Written by Alternative Information Center (AIC)

The Washington State Court of Appeals affirmed Monday the dismissal of a lawsuit filed by fivemembers of the Olympia Food Co-op against current and former members of the Co-op’s Board of Directors for their decision to boycott Israeli goods, says The Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) in a press release.

In addition the court also affirmed $160,000 in statutory damages, as well as attorneys’ fees and costs for the board members, and awarded attorneys’ fees for the appeal.

The Olympia Food Co-op was founded in 1977 with an emphasis on promoting social and environmental responsibility. The co-op is a is a member-based natural foods grocery store with two locations in Olympia, WA. The stores are collectively managed and largely volunteer-run.

According to CCR the court held that the lawsuit was a Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation, or SLAPP, and that participation in the boycott is protected by the First Amendment.  CCR says the lawsuit is part of a broader pattern of targeting pro-Palestinian activists in the United States, particularly in legislatures and across college campuses.

“Those who would try to intimidate concerned citizens speaking out on behalf of Palestinian human rights should take note,” said CCR Senior Staff Attorney Maria LaHood.

“The law and history are on the side of peaceful boycotts for social change, and today’s ruling reaffirms that this time-honored tradition is protected by the First Amendment,” she added.

The lawsuit was filed in 2011 and sought both monetary damages and to end the Co-op’s boycott of Israeli goods, claiming that the defendants had acted beyond the scope of their authority and breached their fiduciary duties as board members.

The boycott is part of the global Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement against violations of international law and the denial of Palestinian human rights by Israel.