Caterpillar group boycotted for selling bulldozers to Israel

From boots to baseball caps, the Caterpillar fashion range is marketed as upmarket outdoors wear for label-conscious youth.

But consumers are now being urged to boycott the construction and clothing company because it supplies bulldozers to the Israeli Government, which then uses the vehicles to destroy Palestinian homes, roads and olive groves. They have also been used to build the "security wall" in the region that has attracted international criticism.

Campaigners this week held an international day of action against Caterpillar, with demonstrations outside British plants and "flashmobbing" of the company's shops where protesters asked to try on shoes then sat reading a report that detailed the firm's alleged complicity in Israeli human rights abuses.

The parents of Rachel Corrie, the 23-year-old American peace activist who was crushed and killed by an Army-driven Caterpillar bulldozer in Gaza in 2003, support the boycott and handed in a copy of the report by the lobby group War on Want to the John Lewis department store in Oxford St.

John Lewis and the high street chain River Island are among the UK stockists of the clothing range.

The Corries announced last month that they are suing Caterpillar for violating the Geneva Convention and American torture laws in allowing its equipment to be used against the Palestinian people and their homes.

Cindy Corrie, Rachel's mother, said: "Stores should not be selling Caterpillar clothing and people should not be buying it because of what is happening in Israel.

"Our daughter was killed by a Caterpillar bulldozer and in the last four years, a tenth of the population of the West Bank have lost their homes as a result of Cat bulldozers being used by the military.

"The company knows what is going on, but they have refused to meet with us or to do anything about our concerns," she added.

"Rachel was always in favour of direct action, and people should realise that this is something they can do to register their protest against Caterpillar."

Mrs Corrie and her husband, Craig, were in London for the opening of a play based on their daughter's life and writing.

The Caterpillar boycott is backed by more than 20 campaign groups and charities.

They claim that more than 50,000 Palestinians have been made homeless by the Israeli Army's use of Caterpillar D9 armoured bulldozers in the last four years.

Water wells, schools and hundreds of thousands of trees have been razed to the ground.

The equipment has also been used to destroy ancient olive groves and roads in the West Bank as well as to construct the security wall cut into Palestinian territories and been condemned by the International Court of Justice.

Louise Richards, chief executive of War on Want said: "Caterpillar provides the Israeli military with bulldozers, knowing full well that they will be used for house demolitions in Palestine.

"We are asking people to boycott their range of clothing and other products until they stop the supply of equipment to Israel's military."

Caterpillar made more than 1 billion ($2.6 million) in profit last year. The Israeli Army has more than 100 D9 bulldozers and recently placed an order for a further 25 vehicles.

A spokesman for the company said: "Caterpillar shares the world's concern over unrest in the Middle East and we certainly have compassion for all those affected by the political strife there.

"However, more than two million Caterpillar machines and engines are at work in virtually every country and region of the world each day.

"We have neither the legal right nor the means to police individual use of that equipment."

The Caterpillar boycott campaign comes at a time when consumers are increasingly being urged to shun stores and companies that are said to have a bad ethical record.

Lobby groups such as No Sweat have been effective in highlighting the exploitation of low-paid workers in developing countries where highly profitable brands such as Nike and Gap have factories.

Boycotts and campaigns against Gap led last year to the company announcing that it was revoking contracts with more than 100 factories in Mexico, China, Russia and India because of their exploitation of staff and poor working conditions.

War on Want plans to publish similar reports to the Caterpillar dossier on the supermarket giant Wal-Mart, notorious for its anti-union practices and Nestle, which has been accused of breaking rules against the marketing of formula milk in developing countries.

- INDEPENDENT

Social boycotts

* Consumers are increasingly being urged to shun stores and companies that are said to have a bad ethical record.
* Lobby groups such as No Sweat agitate in support of low-paid workers in Third World countries where highly profitable brands such as Nike and Gap have factories.
* Boycotts against Gap led last year to the company announcing that it was revoking contracts with more than 100 factories in Mexico, China, Russia and India because of their exploitation of staff and poor working conditions.