Armed 'badgers' raid London coffee shop

Last Thursday, (31 October 2002) 30 'badgers' armed with waterpistols stormed Starbucks coffee shop on Oxford Street claiming it as their ancestral home.

A spokesman said: "Using the logic of Israeli settlers, we evicted some of the customers and erected the first 'badger settlement' in London."

With placards proclaiming: 'If it works in Palestine why not here' and 'It's ours because we say so' - the self-styled Badger Defence Force set up checkpoints to inspect shoppers and tourists for concealed weapons and stopped London traffic for the security of badgers crossing the roads.

The group handed out copies of the 'badger bible' which proves their ownership of Starbucks and a fact sheet which answered frequently asked questions about their activities.

The stunt was staged by members of the Palestinian Solidarity campaign, which includes representives from several churches.

Earlier this year, a number of international volunteers from the group took part in a vigil in Bethlehem during the siege of the Church of the Nativity.

One told ICN: "We staged the protest at Starbucks because this company is a major supporter of the illegal settlements in Israel-Palestine."

NOTE: This is an archived story from October 2002.