Samidoun Nederland took to the streets in West Amsterdam on Thursday, 6 January to celebrate the victory of Palestinian hunger striker Hisham Abu Hawash and to call for freedom for all Palestinian prisoners. The event had been originally called to demand Abu Hawash’s release, but became instead a celebratory occasion. Participants shared information about Abu Hawash’s 141-day hunger strike as well as the ongoing boycott of the Israeli military courts by the 500 Palestinians jailed without charge or trial under “administrative detention.”
The administrative detainees, whose detention is indefinitely renewable, based on secret evidence, are among 4,500 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. Participants in the action carried Palestinian flags and Samidoun banners and distributed material discussing the current situation of Palestinian political prisoners and Palestinians struggling to confront occupation and colonialism.
They also denounced the action of the Dutch government, announced yesterday, to cut funding to the Palestinian organization, the Union of Agricultural Work Committees. Despite the fact that the government’s own report completely exonerated the UAWC of the dubious allegations against it, the Dutch state chose to impose political conditions and repression on Palestinian farmers, in league with the Israeli criminalization of the UAWC and other Palestinian organizations defending people’s rights.
Samidoun Nederland is planning a number of upcoming events and actions to free Palestinian prisoners and support the liberation of Palestine. Contact Samidoun Nederland to find out more details and get involved.
