Chocolate for Two
Michael Danby MP, Federal Member for Melbourne Ports and Deputy Prime Minister Wayne Swan drank hot chocolate together at the BDS targeted Max Brenner Chocolate Shop in Brisbane’s South Bank yesterday.
Shayne Neumann, Paul Pisasale, Bernie Ripoll, Michael Danby, Wayne Swan, and Jason Steinberg, President of the Queensland Jewish Board of Deputies.
The Deputy Prime Minister joined Danby for their Max Brenner hot chocolate following a protest at the South bank shop on Saturday, where the BDS campaigners were outnumbered by counter-protestors supporting the chocolatier.
One hundred and twenty supporters from the local Qld Jewish community, and other Brisbanites joined Mr Danby, Mr Swan, two local Federal MP’s, Bernie Ripoll, the Federal Member for Oxley and Shayne Neumann, the Federal Member for Blair, as well as Ipswich Mayor Paul Pisasale at the Chocolate shop.
Mr Danby said that the turnout on Saturday illustrated that the BDS campaigners did not represent mainstream Australia.
“Many ordinary Brisbanites joined the Queensland Jewish community in the positive manifestation in repudiating the boycotters’ hate-campaign. The event held today with the Deputy Prime Minister illustrates that these campaigners do not represent mainstream Australia,” Mr Danby said.
He denounced the boycotters chant “From the River to the Sea- Palestine shall be free” and underlined the essence of the group and their identification with the Hamas program which seeks a single Islamist state between the Mediterranean and the Jordon.
“These are not cuddly Palestinian supporters who want a Two State Solution with a Palestinian state next to Israel,” Danby said.
“It is disgusting that this group of leftists were demanding that Australians boycott Revlon and Westfield because simply because their owners are Jewish. Fair minded Australians want nothing to do with such bigotry,” he added.
“The attendance of the Deputy Prime Minster and my friends and colleagues Bernie Ripoll and Shayne Neumann proves that mainstream Australia stands for freedom of enterprise and freedom of association. We do not accept the targeted protest of one particular shop. The movement against the BDS is bi-partisan, with Senator Ron Boswell joining the counter-protest yesterday. The best thing we can all do is attend Max Brenner shops and buy their products,” Mr Danby said.
“As Max Brenner himself said, the protest against a chocolate shop is a little bit baffling. Who thinks that a just and fair solution in the Middle East is advanced by boycotting a chocolate shop in Brisbane? ” he concluded.
Well done, Michael Danby! well done Brisbane !! Well done Australia!!!
Danby: “It is disgusting that this group of leftists were demanding that Australians boycott Revlon and Westfield because simply because their owners are Jewish.”
If that is true, then it’s clearly bigotry. Danby, being a politician, has been prone to distorting and lying in the past, so can anyone give me a link to where any group is calling for a boycott of those companies because they’re Jewish? I’d like to see it straight from the horses mouth, as I’ve seen people claim that anyone who boycotts even companies that operate in the West Bank are only boycotting them because they’re Jewish.
Well done Brisbane