LONDON: Where the Blitz failed, coronavirus has succeeded.
The luxury London store Harrods, which stayed open throughout the bombing of the capital during World War II, announced on Friday it was closing its doors.
It will keep open its Food Halls and pharmacy, but the rest of the iconic department store in Knightsbridge will shut.
“The welfare of our community of colleagues, customers and partners has been our absolute priority throughout this time of uncertainty,” managing director Michael Ward said in a statement.
“With this in mind, we have made the very difficult decision to close our doors from 7pm (1900 GMT), Friday 20th March.”
He added: “Harrods has gone through many challenges during its 170-year history.
“We continued to trade and serve our customers during World War II, and only closed for a short period of time after the car bomb attack of the 1980s.”
Three police officers and three members of the public were killed in the 1983 attack by members of the Irish Republic Army (IRA).
The British government earlier this week advised its citizens to avoid any non-essential social contact or travel, particularly in London, the center of the coronavirus outbreak in the UK.
A spokeswoman for Harrods told AFP that the store’s 5,000 staff would keep their jobs despite the closure, saying: “Nobody is being laid off.”
Ward added: “Harrods is a symbol of resilience in a changing and often uncertain world, and I know that our values will ensure that we as a business come through this next chapter.”
Another leading department store, Selfridges, closed its doors on Wednesday.
Harrods shuts its doors over coronavirus
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Harrods shuts its doors over coronavirus
- It will keep open its Food Halls and pharmacy, but the rest of the iconic department store in Knightsbridge will shut
- Another leading department store, Selfridges, closed its doors on Wednesday
Three more UK pro-Palestinian activists end hunger strike
- The detainees are due to stand trial for alleged break-ins or criminal damage on behalf of the Palestine Action campaign group before it was banned under anti-terrorism laws
LONDON: Three detained pro-Palestinian activists awaiting trial in the UK have ended their hunger strike after 73 days, a campaign group said.
The three began “refeeding” on Wednesday, Prisoners for Palestine said in a statement late on Wednesday.
The decision leaves just one person still on hunger strike who started six days ago, it confirmed to AFP. Four others called off their hunger strike earlier.
The detainees are due to stand trial for alleged break-ins or criminal damage on behalf of the Palestine Action campaign group before it was banned under anti-terrorism laws.
They deny the charges.
The group, aged 20-31, launched their hunger strike in November in protest at their treatment and called for their release from prison on bail as they await trial.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer previously said in parliament that all “rules and procedures” were being followed in their cases.
His government outlawed Palestine Action in July after activists, protesting the war in Gaza, broke into a UK air force base and caused an estimated £7 million ($9.3 million) of damage.
Some of those on hunger strike are charged in relation to that incident.
The inmates’ demands included that the government lift its Palestine Action ban and close an Israel-linked defense firm.
Palestine Action co-founder Huda Ammori challenged the ban last July, and High Court judges are expected to rule at a later date on whether to uphold the prohibition.
