HUNDREDS of Palestine solidarity protesters in Manchester staged a “rolling picket” on Saturday of businesses involved with Israel — and were met by zionist counter-demonstrations.

Pickets marched from Piccadilly Gardens to targeted businesses including Barclays bank which they claim was forced to close.

The protest culminated outside the Kedem shop in King Street, which sells cosmetics made using minerals stolen from the Dead Sea in Palestine.

Manchester Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) supporters last week staged daily protests outside Kedem, forcing it to close four times.

But zionists have staged counter-protests at the shop and they turned out on Saturday.

They were protected by police and Palestine supporters confronted them verbally, chanting: “We want peace, you want war.” 

According to John Nicholson of Manchester PSC, zionist protesters were handed free “goody bags” by Kedem staff.

The Palestine supporters chanted: “Brick by brick, wall by wall, Israeli apartheid is going to fall.”

Mr Nicholson said the zionist chanting was “appalling.

“The reality is that if they wanted peace they could just stop the bombing,” he said.

“While the US and UK governments do nothing, we must do what we can.

“While we support the Palestinian people and their resistance — they are entitled to defend themselves when facing such huge and barbaric onslaughts from Israel — simply demonstrating is not enough. We must take action — and that means boycott, divestment and sanctions.

“We will be back at Kedem, today, tomorrow, every day.”

Another rolling picket will take place next Saturday August 2 at Piccadilly Gardens from noon.