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Purveyor

(29,876 posts)
Wed Feb 29, 2012, 07:28 PM Feb 2012

Olympia Food Co-Op Wins Anti-SLAPP Motion, Court Dismisses StandWithUs Lawsuit

Today, a Washington state court dismissed a lawsuit brought against the Olympia Food Coop by StandWithUs and the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs:

(The) court dismissed the case, calling it a SLAPP – Strategic Litigation Against Public Participation – and said that it would award the defendants attorneys’ fees, costs, and sanctions. The judge also upheld the constitutionality of Washington’s anti-SLAPP law, which the plaintiffs had challenged.

In a court hearing last Thursday, lawyers from the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) and Davis Wright Tremaine LLP argued that the court should grant the defendants’ Special Motion to Strike and dismiss the case because it targeted the constitutional rights of free speech and petition in connection with an issue of public concern.
“We are pleased the Court found this case to be what it is – an attempt to chill free speech on a matter of public concern. This sends a message to those trying to silence support of Palestinian human rights to think twice before they bring a lawsuit,” said Maria LaHood, a senior staff attorney with the Center for Constitutional Rights.


--CLIP
In this case, the issue was whether the food coop had the right to ban nine Israeli products from its shelves in support of the global BDS movement. This action was taken according to coop rules which permitted the board by concensus to approve this measure. The plaintiffs could’ve requested a vote of the entire membership to confirm or reject the board’s decision, but refused to go this route. They ran for the coop board in the next election on a platform that opposed the board’s BDS decision and lost.

MORE...

http://www.truth-out.org/olympia-food-coop-wins-anti-slapp-motion-court-dismisses-standwithus-lawsuit/1330530579
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Olympia Food Co-Op Wins Anti-SLAPP Motion, Court Dismisses StandWithUs Lawsuit (Original Post) Purveyor Feb 2012 OP
glad to see it. yurbud Jun 2012 #1
good SLAPP suits to silence political oppisition are dispcable azurnoir Jun 2012 #2
Was there ever any doubt the SLAPPERS would fail? Poor MFA and StandWithUs... Violet_Crumble Jun 2012 #3
This article is four months old oberliner Jun 2012 #4
No, I didn't realise. Thanks for pointing it out... Violet_Crumble Jun 2012 #5
No problem oberliner Jun 2012 #6
I haven't been there since the beginning of this year.... Violet_Crumble Jun 2012 #7
actually there's a bit of that going around-here is another one azurnoir Jun 2012 #8
As it should have. aranthus Jun 2012 #9
well it's indeed good to see we agree on something azurnoir Jun 2012 #10
"Slope says ‘nope’ to Israel boycott" holdencaufield Jun 2012 #11
well good for NY thanks for the info azurnoir Jun 2012 #12
Agreed. n/t aranthus Jun 2012 #13

azurnoir

(45,850 posts)
2. good SLAPP suits to silence political oppisition are dispcable
Wed Jun 13, 2012, 03:42 AM
Jun 2012

and would indicate that those bringing them already know their case is not a winning one

Violet_Crumble

(35,954 posts)
3. Was there ever any doubt the SLAPPERS would fail? Poor MFA and StandWithUs...
Wed Jun 13, 2012, 06:32 AM
Jun 2012

My heart bleeds for them.......not! I was actually surprised to see the MFA was involved in this. Haven't they got more important things to do than engaging in frivolous and petty lawsuits? If they haven't, someone should get them to join DU and they can really get into firing off frivolous and petty alerts!

 

oberliner

(58,724 posts)
6. No problem
Wed Jun 13, 2012, 08:49 AM
Jun 2012

This story is also a reprint of a post from Richard Silverstein's blog. Are you two still running that discussion board from a while back?

Violet_Crumble

(35,954 posts)
7. I haven't been there since the beginning of this year....
Wed Jun 13, 2012, 08:54 AM
Jun 2012

I got busy with other stuff and kind of forgot to go there. I guess I should wander back over at some point and see what's going on...

aranthus

(3,385 posts)
9. As it should have.
Wed Jun 13, 2012, 05:47 PM
Jun 2012

The right way to deal with this is to boycott the Olympia Food Co-op. The Co-op has the right to sell or not sell what they want for whatever reason they want. Consumers have the right to shop elsewhere in response. I hope that they do.

azurnoir

(45,850 posts)
10. well it's indeed good to see we agree on something
Thu Jun 14, 2012, 01:02 AM
Jun 2012

and I agree a ProIsrael boycott would be interesting too

 

holdencaufield

(2,927 posts)
11. "Slope says ‘nope’ to Israel boycott"
Thu Jun 14, 2012, 01:19 AM
Jun 2012


http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/slope_says_nope_s3INoe6zL9jxeR1Obk1utL


"Thanks to last night’s vote, products from Israel — such as the popular Sodastream seltzer maker, bath salts and paprika — will still be stocked on shelves at the 39-year-old Union Street co-op."
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