The “Apartheid-Free Co-op” protesters are still at it [“Boycott drive roils co-op” Gazette, Oct. 22]. At this point, it’s beginning to look less like a human rights movement, and more like a heels-dug-in, my-way-or-the-highway act of tribal stubbornness.

Even if successful, a boycott of seven relatively obscure consumer products has very little chance in being noticed by Israeli leadership, and it certainly won’t convince them to end their atrocious hostilities against the people of Gaza. Additionally, somewhat troubling is the inclusion of a feminine hygiene product, which reeks of misogyny. The protesters are, perhaps inadvertently, trying to deny women their right to use the feminine products of their choice. This hardly seems to be in alignment with progressive values.

The countless hours being spent on this spat with co-op management (folks who probably have enough stress in their lives as they work long, hard hours on grocery store wages), seems misguided at best, and disingenuous at worst. Standing around in front of a supermarket with clipboards trying to collect signatures to change the policies within does nothing to improve conditions for people suffering in Gaza.

Their time would be much better spent standing in the same places with donation boxes instead of clipboards, raising funds for charities doing the good work necessary to actually help the desperate people who are trapped trying to survive the dangerous, unsanitary, and miserable situation that has been forced upon them.

The Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund, UNICEF, and Doctors Without Borders (among others) are doing great work on the ground in Gaza, and all of them are very much in need of more resources, given the scope and weight of the insurmountable task they have before them.

The signature gatherers are coming across as blatantly tone-deaf, and sorely lacking in self-awareness. At this point, they’re just embarrassing themselves. They could and should be spending their time actually trying to help the desperate people they claim to be so concerned about. If they can’t do that, perhaps they should just go home. That, or they should move onto championing an unrelated cause.

Efforts aimed at simply trying to ensure that their team wins an internal conflict among shoppers at a grocery store helps no one, save for themselves as they try to retain their pride. Their efforts seem to have more to do with fluffing up their chests in a public display aimed at making sure that others can see just how righteous and “progressive” they are.

Progress is rarely accomplished that way.

Brian Cooper lives in Sunderland.