RSS Feed

Shopkeeper visited by two Trading Standards officers and six policemen for refusing to remove Games-themed bunting

July 27th, 2012 FAKE NEWS for the Zionist agenda

By
Alex Horlock


PUBLISHED:

10:57 EST, 26 July 2012

|

UPDATED:

20:02 EST, 26 July 2012

  • Hamdy Shahein told to take down merchandise from shop-front because it was against LOCOG guidelines
  • Shopkeeper claims two Trading Standards officers and SIX police officers came to ask him to remove flags and balloons
  • He obliged, but refused to take down larger banners he put up to ‘celebrate’ the Games

A shopkeeper has defied Olympic killjoys who tried to force him to take down his Games-themed bunting.

Hamdy Shahein, who runs Hamdy’s News in Stoke Newington, London, had decked out his store with balloons, banners and bunting.

But council killjoys – and six police officers – told him to tear down banners outside his store because it breached LOCOG’s strict branding rules.

Defiant: Hamdy Shahein refused to take the large Olympic banners down hanging above his Hackney shop

Defiant: Hamdy Shahein refused to take the large Olympic banners down hanging above his Hackney shop

Confused: Mr Shahein said that two Trading Standards officers and six police officers visited his shop to ask him to remove the decorations

Confused: Mr Shahein said that two Trading Standards officers and six police officers visited his shop to ask him to remove the decorations

The newsagent has refused to remove them – leaving his store adorned with national flags of nations competing, the Union Jack and the London Games logo.

The shopkeeper said: ‘I told them that if it was breaking the rules then they will have to come and take it down themselves.

‘It is unacceptable the way they have treated me. It is not right at all.’

Mr Shahein says two Hackney Council trading Standards officers approached him last Saturday, the day the Olympic Torch was set to pass directly outside his shop.

Making a stand: Mr Shahein refused to remove the larger banners because he wants to 'celebrate' the Games

Making a stand: Mr Shahein refused to remove the larger banners because he wants to ‘celebrate’ the Games

He says they accused him of having unofficial branded products in and outside the shop on Stoke Newington High Street – even though he has a letter informing him he is an official Olympic retailer.

Mr Shahein added: ‘I wanted to make the shop look nice for the community.

‘But a lady came up to me and almost grabbed my hand. She started shouting, “stop, stop, you can’t do this.”

‘I had no idea why I couldn’t have the bunting up.

‘People who had started gathering to see the torch come past tried to change her mind and told her I was doing something nice for the community, but it made no difference.’

Mr Shahein, who spent £250 out of his own pocket decorating the shop, continued: ‘About an hour later a police van with six policemen stopped outside and the lady came over and said, “that’s him.”

‘They forced me to take down some balloons and flag bunting I’d placed at street level.

‘But I told them if they wanted the big banners down, they’d have to do it themselves.

‘They haven’t been back yet.’

The 60-year-old claims the heavy-handed approach was over the top – and almost forced him to shut up shop for the day in protest.

But locals convinced him to stay open and try to enjoy the celebrations. He has since made a stand, keeping the Olympic bunting up above his shop.

Local solicitor Kristin Heimark believes Mr Shahein was ill-treated. 

She said: ‘Hamdy is one of the lynchpins of our community. He likes to get in the spirit of things.

‘I don’t know if people realised when the Olympics laws were passed that it would mean this, and that we would have people from trading standards coming round requiring bunting to be removed.’

Mr Shahein’s situation is by no means an isolated incident. Colin Thorne was forced to take Olympic-themed decorations down in the Devon estate agents, Webbers, back in May.

Even London Mayor Boris Johnson has warned of the ‘insanity’ of overzealous policing of Olympic brands.

Not the first time: Colin Thorne from Webbers Estate Agents in Devon was forced to take down these decorations earlier this year

Not the first time: Colin Thorne from Webbers Estate Agents in Devon was forced to take down these decorations earlier this year

Mr Shahein, 60, who is a runner himself having competed in 48 half marathons, said: ‘They say I’m selling and displaying unofficial merchandise, but I’ve got a letter that says I’m an official retailer of Olympic products. I don’t sell fakes.

‘I told them to educate me, not get heavy handed.

‘I’ve been here 33 years and never known a farce like it. 

‘I’m a runner myself and love the Olympics. I wanted to celebrate them being in town with the community. 

‘That’s all the bunting was – a celebration. We had no problems putting it up for the Jubilee. 

‘I won’t back down.’

Under the Olympic Symbol (Protection) Act and the Trade Marks Act, Trading Standards officers have the power to enforce the removal of products, and have enforced this in Mr Shahein’s case.

A Hackney Council spokesman said: ‘Offices determined that unofficial Olympic-branded bunting was on display and for sale in the shop and on nearby railings.

‘The store manager was asked to remove it and advised to withdraw it from sale on that basis.

‘Hackney Council is adhering to LOCOG’s guidance on Olympic branding and merchandise.’

Normal
0

false
false
false

EN-GB
X-NONE
X-NONE

MicrosoftInternetExplorer4

/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:”Table Normal”;
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:””;
mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0cm;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:”Times New Roman”,”serif”;}

  • Don’t forget to pick up your copy of today’s Daily Mail for
    your guide to the Olympics.

Here’s what other readers have said. Why not add your thoughts,
or debate this issue live on our message boards.

The comments below have not been moderated.



  • Newest


  • Oldest


  • Best rated


  • Worst rated

The really terrible thing about all this is that even thought the law was passed, it did not mean that it had to be enfoprced. A touch of the old Nelson spirit (“I see no ships”) would not have gone amiss.
Of course, the media could have been stronger. It would serve the Olympic Committee right if the press had just reported only the results, like the racing results, in small print on an inside back page, and the television companies ignored the whole process.
Of course it is really to control the masses, as in ancient Rome, with “bread and circuses”, without the bread.

Report abuse

1 local stasi official and 6 police? Police state anyone?

Report abuse

Mr Shahein is an official Olympics retailer. He has the Union flag, the Olympics logo and flags of the competing nations on display, and also put up bunting, all at his own expense. He’s supporting the most important sporting event of the year, and Boris Johnson has criticised attempts to stop people displaying Olympics-themed decorations. Despite everything on Mr Shahein’s side, LOCOG has still sent trading standards and the police on another time-wasting jaunt. At the top of this is Lord Coe. The public bearing the cost of the Games has been treated disgracefully yet again, and not once have I heard Lord Coe speak up for us. But for the record books, it would be hard to believe he’d actually competed for this country at Olympic level. He seems to have completely forgotten the support he got when he most needed it.

Report abuse

Since when have the Olympic rings become the property of LOCOG? Haven’t they always been displayed at the Olympics? I have a Moscow bear which has a belt round it’s waist-it’s fastened with the 5 rings.the bear was bought in 1980
– Diane, Haywards heath, 27/7/2012 00:24
He is called Misha….I have one too, bought it in Twycross zoo gift shop when I was 12….maybe I will put him in the window and see if someone makes me remove him!

Report abuse

You got him coppers now your crime statistics for the week will look much better and your boss back at the station will get a good conduct certificate. He does look like a dangerous person so I would hope that the plod had their tasers and spray at the ready. Don”t worry about all the other Olympics crime going on the really important stuff is happening in at Hamdy’s News Stoke Newington.

Report abuse

DO THEY WANT US TO CELEBRATE THE GAMES OR NOT,WHAT A LOAD OF DEAD BEATS RUNNING THE SHOW. SEB COE AT THE TOP OF THE LIST.

Report abuse

Nothing will change until we start to stand up to the “the authoritiest”. Leave the decorations up !

Report abuse

This Olympics is turning out to be for the corps profits a police state for the rest of us

Report abuse

Since when have the Olympic rings become the property of LOCOG?
Haven’t they always been displayed at the Olympics?
I have a Moscow bear which has a belt round it’s waist-it’s fastened with the 5 rings.the bear was bought in 1980

Report abuse

I’ve got to love Mr Shahein for saying ‘I told them to educate me, not get heavy handed.’ Unfortunately though our tyrannical overlords seem to think educate and intimidate are the same thing.

Report abuse

The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.

Related posts:

Ice-T Defends Gun Rights: “The Last Form Of Defense Against Tyranny”
GM crop-trial website taken down by cyber-attack
Video: Jessica Hammond Vs Vince Kidd: ‘We Found Love’ The Voice UK Battles 1 – BBC
Mysterious Radiation Burst Recorded in Tree Rings
Time to Celebrate National Park Week!
Switzerland to curb immigration quota
Posted in UK News Tags: ,
«
»
You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

Leave a Reply

Powered by WordPress | Designed by: Premium WordPress Themes | Thanks to Themes Gallery, Bromoney and Wordpress Themes