A vigil calling for liberation of all political prisoners
Location: 1501 Av. McGill College, Montreal, Quebec H3A 3M8
Date: July 14th 2023
Time: 12:00-2:00PM
Palestinian and Jewish Unity, invites you to attend a vigil in front of the French consulate in Montreal to honor all Palestinian prisoners and their allies and in particular freedom fighter, Georges Abdallah, jailed in France since 1984.
The Storming of the Bastille happened in Paris, France, on 14 July 1789, when revolutionaries stormed and seized control of the medieval prison and released all political prisoners.
This July 14th, we will stand in solidarity with Georges Abdallah and all Palestinian prisoners in Zionist jails. We demand Georges Abdallah’s immediate release from Lannemezan prison and recognize that political prisoners — whether they be in Zionist or French jails — are on the frontlines of the Palestinian struggle and we must always amplify their cause.
Embodying the Palestinian ethic of “sumud,” or resilience, Georges Abdallah continues to engage in the very same fight he was targeted for. Indeed, during his detainment, Georges Abdallah has repeatedly participated in hunger strikes and refused meals in solidarity with Palestinian political prisoners inside occupation prisons.
Georges Abdallah is held as a political prisoner in Lannemezan prison in France. He is considered the longest serving political prisoner in Europe and has been eligible for release since 1999. However, his release has been obstructed by the French and American governments at every turn.
Georges Abdallah was targeted for his commitment to the fight for Palestinian liberation, for his role as a revolutionary thinker, and his involvement in the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) and the Lebanese Revolutionary Armed Factions (LRAF). Georges Abdallah’s trial which sentenced him to life imprisonment in 1987 was marked by irregularities. One of his lawyers – Jean-Paul Mazurier – was revealed to be an agent for a French spy service and some of the evidence against Abdallah was also revealed to have been fabricated retroactively by French, American and Israeli intelligence services. Despite this, the validity of the trial and its results have never been formally contested despite numerous attempts.
We recognize that his arrest and detainment is an attempt to stifle the Palestinian and Lebanese revolutionary spirit. We also condemn the French regime whose detainment of George Abdallah is only possible because of their collaboration with the Zionist and American regimes.We also condemn the Lebanese regime for its shameful inaction which has allowed Georges to remain hostage to France’s collusion with the Zionist regime. As organisations, movements, and individuals in Quebec we affirm our full and complete solidarity with Georges Abdallah and demand his immediate release. We will continue to honor Georges Abdallah’s persistent fight until full liberation and return. Free Free Palestine!
