The League of Filipino Students led a protest at the University of the Philippines Dilman, against the speech by a representative of the Israeli Embassy on campus, along with the International League of Peoples Struggle (ILPS), of which Samidoun is a member organization. The students’ statement – drawing particular attention to the role of Palestinian prisoners in the liberation movement – is below:
Filipino Youth Supports the Palestinian Struggle for Freedom
http://wp.me/p2uvTF-1EO
Solidarity Statement of the League of Filipino Students (LFS)
March 17, 2016
University of the Philippines Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines
The League of Filipino Students (LFS), an anti-imperialist mass organization of the Filipino youth, stands in solidarity with the Palestinian youth and people in their struggle for freedom against Zionist occupation backed by United States (US) imperialism.
This afternoon, youth and students led by LFS and the International League of Peoples’ Struggle (ILPS) held a protest at the University of the Philippines (UP) during a forum where Israeli Ambassador to the Philippines Ephraim Ben Matityau was invited as guest speaker. Our message is clear: the US-backed Israeli government—a symbol and a reality of racism, colonialism and imperialism—is not welcome in the University and in our country!
Today, there are over seven million Palestinian refugees outside Palestine, who have been denied of their right to return to their beloved homeland for over decades. Zionist forces in 1948 occupied 78% of Palestinian lands, expelled the vast majority of the Palestinian people and forced them into refugee camps. In 1967, the Israeli government occupied the remaining 22% of Palestine, including Jerusalem, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
The Palestinian people are currently facing demolitions of their homes, confiscation of their lands, a killer siege on the Gaza Strip, brutal racism, denial of their rights, siege and the plunder of their homeland. Both the Palestinian people and leaders of their revolutionary movement are facing mass imprisonment. As of late last year, at least 6,000 leaders of the Palestinian revolutionary movement have been languishing in Israeli jails.
But these would not have been possible without US imperialism’s wholesale support and deep alliance with the Israeli government. US imperialism is a strategic partner and a full participant in all the attacks on the Palestinian people. Without it and its other imperialist allies, the Zionist state would cease to exist on occupied Palestinian land.
The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, during the 5th International Assembly of the ILPS in Manila, Philippines last year, said that a new uprising, a new intifada, has erupted in Palestine. The Palestinian youth are in the forefront of the upsurge and resistance of their people. Together, they are fighting and struggling through all forms of resistance, unarmed and armed, against Israeli occupation soldiers and forces.
Now, more than ever, the Filipino youth and people are inspired by their Palestinian counterparts. We are ever more determined to win the national democratic revolution and defeat US imperialism and all reaction in our country. We stand in solidarity with the exploited and oppressed peoples of the world struggling against imperialism and fighting for liberation, justice and socialism. Our victory is yours in as much as your victory is also ours!
Freedom for Palestine!
Stop the Zionist occupation of Palestine!
Down with imperialism!
Long live international solidarity!
