Lush closed all UK shops for a day in solidarity with Gaza, urging the UK government to help end “death and destruction” in the region.
In an effort to "send into Gaza our love and a strong message that we stand in solidarity," the store, which is well-known for its intensely scented soaps and bath bombs, said that it would not be opening its stores on Wednesday and would also keep its website closed. "Stop starving Gaza" is displayed in the windows of the company's more than 100 stores in the UK and Ireland.
In addition to having to pay staff costs totaling an additional £300,000, they calculated they would lose almost £350,000 in sales for the day.
The Lush website has a black page with the same message and the words "We are closed in solidarity" in place of its typical home page.
Another page reads:
“Across the Lush business we share the anguish that millions of people feel seeing the images of starving people in Gaza, Palestine. Like the rest of the world, we struggle to find ways we can help whilst the Israeli government is preventing urgent humanitarian assistance from entering Gaza.”
The high-street chain adorned its store fronts with fake police tape reading “police have crossed the line”.
On Wednesday, no products were available on the Lush website. Instead, a message read:
“Shutting our shops is not an easy decision – we ask for forgiveness from any customers we inconvenience should they come to us on 3rd September and find us closed. However, we know that many of our customers share the same anxiety about the current situation in Gaza.”
It added:
“Whilst Lush is losing a day of takings, this also means that the UK government is losing a day of tax contributions from Lush and our customers. We hope they too hear the message our closure sends, with more government action needed to bring an immediate stop to the death and destruction, including an end to arms sales from the UK.”
According to the UN, there is growing evidence that the Israeli siege of Gaza is contributing to an increase in hunger-related deaths in the region due to "widespread starvation, malnutrition, and disease."
According to the most recent export licensing data available, which dates back to May of this year, the UK authorized £127 million worth of military hardware for Israel through single-issue licenses between October and December of the previous year.
This was less than what would have happened if arms sales had not been partially suspended. Because of worries that they would be used in a way that violates international humanitarian law, British Foreign Secretary David Lammy announced in September that the country would be suspending 30 of 350 arms export licenses to Israel.
Of the lost sales and wages bill, a Lush spokesperson said:
“It’s sad that it’s easier for us to take this financial loss than it is for us to get the equivalent amount of aid into Gaza.”
What specific UK government actions is Lush demanding to
stop the crisis in Gaza?
As a minimum, the UK should stop giving, helping, or materially facilitating further violence now. Stop the Gaza siege today and allow the unimpeded and urgent provision to the civilians who are starving and caught in conflict of food, medical supplies and assistance.
Use its power as a diplomatic nation to urge for an immediate ceasefire, to stop the deaths and destruction in Gaza. Call for adequate measures to evacuate the injured and other vulnerable groups, for example medical patients in need of treatment abroad.
In public, condemn the violence and humanitarian emergency, calling on the Government to take responsibility for its moral and political impact.
These calls are consistent with calls by humanitarian
organisations, asking the UK to follow international humanitarian law and join
in stopping further war crimes and crimes against humanity.