French prisoners in Fleury-Mérogis protest in solidarity with Gaza

Photos: Street Vox/Detainees’ Collective of Fleury-Merogis

The following is translated from the original French statement by the Detainees Collective of Fleury-Mérogis (Collectif de détenus de Fleury-Mérogis). Much like imprisonment in the United States and elsewhere, imprisonment in France is deeply racialized and also highly political. In addition to a number of Basque political prisoners, France has jailed Arab Communist struggler for Palestine, Georges Ibrahim Abdallah, for over 33 years.  In this very prison, Canadian professor Hassan Diab was jailed for years before finally winning his release after the bogus case against him was exposed. Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network expresses our appreciation and solidarity for these prisoners and their conscious political work behind iron bars to confront French imperialism and stand with the Palestinian people.:

To mark their solidarity with the Palestinians killed in the Gaza Strip, on Sunday, 20 May 2018, the detainees in Building D1 of the Fleury-Mérogis prison blocked the exercise yard. They issued the following statement:

“We, the detainees of Building D1 of the Fleury-Mérogis prison, decided to block the exercise yard in support of the Palestinian people who have demonstrated on multiple occasions to try to break the blockade imposed by Israel, against the installation of the American embassy in Jerusalem on the 70th anniversary of the Nakba, and to assert the Palestinian right to return.

Even if we are deprived of liberty, we wish to protest against the massacres in the Gaza Strip committed by the Israeli government and show our solidarity with the 61 Palestinians killed by the colonial military forces (including 8 children and 1 baby) and 2,400 injured.

Just like the Palestinians, who have made Palestine a symbol of dignity and longtime struggle, our demonstration is a peaceful protest without violence and hatred.

We will block the yard until the arrival of the Eris (security forces.)

Because Fleury is the biggest prison in Europe, we want to express our solidarity with Gaza, the biggest prison in the world!

We are all the children of Gaza!”

French original:

“Nous, détenus du bâtiment D1 de la maison d’arrêt de Fleury Merogis, avons décidé de bloquer la cours de promenade en soutien au peuple palestinien qui manifeste depuis plusieurs jours pour tenter de braver le blocus imposé par Israël et contre l’installation de l’ambassade américaine à Jérusalem, à l’occasion des 70 ans de la Nakba et pour faire valoir le droit au retour des palestiniens.

Même si nous sommes privés de liberté, nous tenons à manifester contre les massacres dans la bande de Gaza de la part du gouvernement israélien, en solidarité avec les 61 palestiniens tués par les forces militaires coloniales ( dont 8 enfants et 1 bébé ), et les 2.400 blessés.

Tout comme les palestiniens, qui font de la Palestine un symbole de dignité et de lutte de longue haleine, notre manifestation est une manifestation pacifique, sans violence et sans haine. Nous bloquerons la promenade dans le calme jusqu’à à l’arrivée des Éris. Parce que Fleury est la plus grande prison d’Europe, nous voulons exprimer notre solidarité avec Gaza, qui est la plus grande prison du monde !

Nous sommes tous des enfants de Gaza “