What to do when you, too, become a “terrorist”: New zine launch!

Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network is launching a new zine, “What to do when you, too, become a ‘terrorist'” — inspired by our own experience being banned in Germany and being labeled a “Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT)” by the United States and a “terrorist entity” by Canada, and by the ongoing attempts of the British state to proscribe Palestine Action as a “terrorist” organization. Of course, it is also influenced by the years of state repression targeting a wide array of liberation struggles and movements, from the Black Liberation Movement to Indigenous warriors to Puerto Rican independentistas, not to mention the designation of Palestinian, Lebanese, Yemeni, Iranian, Filipino and other resistance organizations as “terrorists” by the imperialist powers.

• DOWNLOAD “What to do when you, too, become a ‘terrorist'” – PDF
• DOWNLOAD “What to do when you, too, become a ‘terrorist'” – PDF half-page booklet

The zine lays out lessons as well as political analysis from our experience and the experiences of others who have been targeted by the state for designation, listing and sanctions. As Pawel Wargan noted on X/Twitter:

Terrorist designations were created to punish liberation movements in the South.

Now, with Samidoun and Palestine Action, they target solidarity movements in the North — a dangerous precedent that opens the door to the criminalization of all meaningful political opposition.

This means that we can expect the weapon of the “terrorist” designation, the political ban, the proscription and the dissolution to be used ever more frequently. In recent months, in addition to the current attack on Palestine Action — in which Britain’s parliament has already voted to proscribe the direct action movement — France dissolved the Collectif Palestine Vaincra and is threatening Urgence Palestine with dissolution; Belgium’s far-right “Arizona” government is threatening to create an entirely new legal structure in order to ban Samidoun and other organizations working for Palestine; the Netherlands’ right-wing Parliament is attempting to ban Samidoun; Germany has banned Palestine Solidarity Duisburg and Zionists are working to ban the Masar Badil, the Palestinian Alternative Revolutionary Path Movement; and the United States designated Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association and five Palestinian charities as SDGTs.

This is only a small group of examples of the various forms of state repression being pursued by imperialist powers in defense of their Zionist project in Palestine and the region and their ongoing genocide. In this context, it is important for organizers to prepare politically, legally and practically to confront escalating forms of repression and continue their struggle for Palestinian liberation and in support of the Palestinian and regional resistance.

As the booklet notes:

“Like the Zionist entity fears the Palestinian resistance, so do the imperialist powers fear the Palestinian diaspora and their supporters that have been rising up again and again, especially since the start of operation Al-Aqsa Flood and the Zionist genocide. They fear a strong, popular movement that threatens their economic and political interests in Palestine and the region. Repression is a sign of strength for the Palestinian movement and the international solidarity movement. This movement has mobilized the largest demonstrations for Palestine in history, has cost Israeli and Zionist companies billions of dollars in losses, it has united millions of people from across the world as well as virtually all social movements in every country for the Palestinian liberation struggle.”

The booklet includes analysis, advice from organizers who have already experienced designation and repression, suggestions for security tips to support your organizing and resources for further reading. It is available for downloading, printing and wide distribution in your area and online!

• DOWNLOAD “What to do when you, too, become a ‘terrorist'” – PDF
• DOWNLOAD “What to do when you, too, become a ‘terrorist'” – PDF half-page booklet