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Free Georges Abdallah: Lebanese confront Macron in Beirut

The majority of the text below is republished from the original French at Collectif Palestine Vaincra. Collectif Palestine Vaincra is a member of the Samidoun Network based in Toulouse, France: 

Protest in Lannemezan, France, to free Georges Abdallah

Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network expresses its deepest solidarity with the people of Beirut and all of Lebanon after the devastating explosion on Tuesday, 4 August, which has left at least 137 dead, dozens missing and 5,000 injured, as well as hundreds of thousands of people homeless.

It also struck a sharp economic blow, destroying critical resources such as Beirut’s grain silos and the Beirut port, critical to Lebanese trade. This comes atop the existing economic crisis, exacerbated and developed by U.S. imperialism and its sanctions and financial policies, leaving the most marginalized sectors, including Palestinian refugees, migrant workers, and the almost 50% of Lebanese living in poverty. Meanwhile, the Israeli occupation – which occupied Southern Lebanon until defeated in 2000 and has launched multiple, violent wars continues to threaten Lebanon, its people and its resistance with destruction while regularly violating Lebanese airspace with drones.

Meanwhile, imperialist powers, while continuing to impose sanctions on Lebanon, as well as neighboring Syria, that are contributing significantly to the financial crisis, have been eager to draw a potential profit from the devastation in Lebanon.

Visiting Beirut on Thursday, 6 August, French President Emmanuel Macron claimed that he was present to bring humanitarian aid to Lebanon, already in the throes of an economic and social catastrophe. However, the arrival of the French president was not smooth. Many Lebanese journalists and activists denounced the neocolonial hypocrisy demonstrated by Macron, emphasizing that his objective is to impose “structural reforms” on the country according to the requirements of the International Monetary Fund.

Perhaps the clearest example of Macron’s duplicity is the continued imprisonment by France of Georges Ibrahim Abdallah, imprisoned by the French state since 1984 and eligible for release since 1999. The Lebanese government has officially requested his release and repatriation, yet he continues to be held hostage while calls for his release mount, especially in France and Lebanon.

Lebanese intellectual Samah Idriss noted, “we want the release of Georges Abdallah before all of your ‘aid’ and promises!”

Indeed, Macron’s visits to the streets of Gemmayzeh in the devastated Lebanese capital was repeatedly greeted with calls of “Freedom for Georges Abdallah” by youth who refuse to be treated as colonial subjects once again by France, reject the complicity of many Lebanese politicians and see Georges Abdallah as a symbol of Arab and anti-imperialist dignity, resilience and resistance.

Mobilizations continue to demand the release of this Lebanese Arab resistance fighter for the Palestinian cause, and building solidarity with Georges Abdallah is critical! Beyond simply an individual case, Georges Abdallah embodies an alternative to French colonialism and corrupt politicians that serve imperialist interests, a truly free Lebanon.

Being a revolutionary is not a crime: Communists from Turkey persecuted in Germany

Photo: Atik/Free Muslum Elma

On Tuesday, 28 July, 10 Turkish communists were convicted in a German court as large crowds of over 500 people demonstrated outside to express strong solidarity with the activists, accused of supporting the TKP/ML (Turkish Communist Party – Marxist-Leninist.) While the TKP/ML is labeled a “terrorist” organization by the Turkish state, it is not banned in Germany. Nevertheless, these 10 activists were put on trial for their alleged support for TKP/ML and communist principles as supporters declared: “Being a revolutionary is not a crime!”

Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network was one of dozens of organizations that endorsed the protest outside the Munich court organized by ATIK, the Confederation of Workers from Turkey in Europe. Protesters denounced the trial as the German state acting on behalf of the Erdogan government in Turkey to repress opposition internationally. The nine men and one woman were arrested in 2015 and the case has dragged on since then. One of the 10, Müslüm Elma, remained imprisoned the entire time and was finally free after the trial, despite his unjust conviction, due to the amount of time he had already been held behind bars.

Photo: Atik/Free Muslum Elma

The court finally sentenced the 10 revolutionaries:
Müslüm Elma : 6 years 6 months
Erhan Aktürk : 4 years 6 months
Sinan Aydin : 3 years 6 months
Haydar Bern : 3 years 4 months
Banu Büyükavci : 3 years 6 months
Musa Demir : 3 years 4 months
Deniz Pektas : 5 years old
Sami Solmaz : 3 years old
Seyit Ali Ugur : 4 years 6 months
Mehmet Yesilçali : 2 years 9 months

Four of them had been arrested outside Germany and extradited there, even though they were not accused of committing any crimes in Germany. Instead, they were tried under the infamous section 129 a/b of German law, the “anti-terror” provision that provides for prosecution in Germany for the actions of political parties and movements around the world. Leftist movements and parties in Germany have long called for this provision to be struck, as it has been used repeatedly to suppress people’s movements and justify political persecution. In this case, the courts relied almost solely on evidence provided by the Turkish state to justify the prosecution.

The demonstration outside the courtroom had a strong thread of internationalism, as protesters called not only for the release of the 10 Turkish communists but also for their fellow political prisoners, including Ahmad Sa’adat, imprisoned General Secretary of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine; Georges Ibrahim Abdallah, the Lebanese Arab communist struggler for Palestine jailed in French prisons for over 35 years, Dr. G. N. Saibaba, the Indian scholar held for years in solitary confinement, and Varavara Rao, the Indian poet targeted for political imprisonment.

Photo: Atik/Free Muslum Elma

Throughout the trial, the defendants strongly upheld their political convictions. Müslüm Elma said in court on 29 June 2020: ““We come from the tradition of resistance. The accusation of ‘terrorism’ is one of the biggest lies of the 20th and 21st centuries, which the imperialist thieves and their collaborators have constructed to hide the crimes they have committed against the oppressed peoples of the world and to defame their legitimate struggle.But all these lies cannot prevent the fall of the imperialists…We are internationalist revolutionaries, and you cannot judge us.”

Photo: Atik/Free Muslum Elma

After his release, Müslüm Elma gave an interview, with a poster of Georges Abdallah and Ahmad Sa’adat behind him, once more illustrating his internationalist perspective.

“This process has once again shown how problematic the prosecution of so-called foreign terrorist organizations under Section 129b of the Criminal Code by German law enforcement authorities and courts is. The local judiciary criminalizes resistance against the Erdogan regime and thus supports it,” said Stefan Kuhn, Elma’s defense attorney.

While Elma and his comrades are now free, they have vowed to appeal this unjust and political decision, meant to criminalize revolutionary struggle. Several of the defendants’ sentences, including Elma’s, were already completed due to the years they spent in pre-trial detention, including extradition detention, while the other sentences are suspended pending appeal. They have emphasized the importance of widespread solidarity, in Germany and internationally, in continuing their struggle through years of detention and lengthy criminal trials.

Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network stands in full solidarity with Müslüm Elma and his comrades in this case, and with all of the Turkish and Kurdish activists and community organizers subjected to repression and imprisonment in Germany and elsewhere in Europe, as well as in Turkey itself.

This form of repression is not distant from the anti-Palestinian repression also practiced by the German state; indeed, the political bans, deportation and exclusion imposed on Rasmea Odeh and then Khaled Barakat sharply mirror the attacks on leftists from Turkey in Germany. We join in the call not only for these sentences and convictions to be overturned but to scrap the infamous section 129 a/b laws that allow for these types of political persecution. Long live international solidarity!

Events and Protests for the Days of Resistance for Palestine: Get involved and take action August 7 through 9!

Over 100 organizations around the world have come together to join Samidoun in calling for the Days of Resistance, Friday through Sunday, 7 through 9 August 2020. Events are being organized in New York City, Boston, Madrid, Vancouver, Montreal, Belgium, France, Brazil, Gothenburg, Copenhagen, Las Vegas, Manchester, London, Brighton, Knighton, Glasgow, Auckland and more, with further events to come!

We invite your organizations to get involved:

To participate in the Days of Resistance, you can take many diverse actions. Here are a few examples, depending on your area and resources. Of course, keep safe and take proper protections for COVID-19:

  • organize a demonstration or protest
  • distribute flyers about Palestine
  • put up a table with information about justice in Palestine and boycott campaigns
  • take action to boycott Israel and complicit corporations like HP, G4S and Teva
  • poster walls in your community with signs
  • join with fellow supporters of justice in Palestine to post your solidarity and support for the Palestinian people and their ongoing resistance for return and liberation, from the river to the sea, on social media

If you are organizing an event, would like materials for your action, want us to promote your action, or have questions, please contact us at samidoun@samidoun.net or message us on Facebook.

Online Event (in Arabic):

Ghassan Kanafani and Naji al-Ali: How to restore their path?
Saturday, 8 August
10 am Pacific – 1 pm Eastern – 7 pm Europe – 8 pm Palestine
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/334711407919981/
Join over Zoom or watch on Facebook Live
Organized by Samidoun Network in occupied Palestine with Palestinian Youth Movement, HIRAK (Palestinian Youth Mobilization in Berlin), Al-Naqab Center for Youth Activities

Online Event (in Arabic):

Boycott as a National Duty
Sunday, 9 August
10:30 am Pacific – 1:30 pm Eastern – 7:30 pm Europe – 8:30 pm Palestine
Watch on YouTube Live: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gy1i0HQDEg
Organized by BDS Bahrain

New York City, NY:

DAY OF RESISTANCE Demonstration to Defend Palestine
Friday, 7 August
4:00 pm
72nd St and 5th Avenue
Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, NYC, US
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/events/1155028838189165
Organized by NY4Palestine, led by Within Our Lifetime – United for Palestine

 Copenhagen, Denmark:

Stop Annexation in Palestine – Palestinian People’s Kitchen with Mohammed Khatib
Friday 7 August
5:30 pm
Folkets Hus
Stengade 50
Copenhagen, Denmark
More info: https://www.facebook.com/events/298446194730505/
Organized by Stop Annekteringen af Palæstina 2020

Las Vegas, NV: 

Day of Resistance Demonstration and Car Caravan
Friday, 7 August
7:00 pm
737 N Main Street
Las Vegas, NV
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/events/s/day-of-resistance/691968751358813
Organized by Nevadans for Palestinian Human Rights, Jewish Voice for Peace – Las Vegas

Madrid, Spanish State: 

Demonstration in Solidarity with Palestine
Friday, 7 August
8:00 pm P
Atocha to Sol
Madrid, Spain
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/610593346525768/
Organized by Alkarama Palestinian Women’s Mobilization, Samidoun, Unadikum

Boston, MA:

Stand Out for the Days of Resistance
Saturday, 8 August
11:00 am
Porter Square MBTA Stop
Cambridge, MA
More info: https://samidoun.net/event/boston-stand-out-for-the-days-of-resistance/
Organized by Alliance for Water Justice in Palestine

Anaheim, California:

Days of Resistance Car Caravan
Saturday, 8 August
11:30 am
1151 N La Palma Parkway
Anaheim, CA
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/589957935215093/
Organized by the Palestinian Youth Movement; Al-Awda, the Palestine Right to Return Coalition; Yalla Indivisible

Berkeley, California:  

Day of Resistance Bay Area No to Annexation Banner Drop!
Saturday, 8 August
12:00 pm
I-80 Bridge
Berkeley, CA
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/222402215705454/
Organized by the Palestinian Youth Movement

Dearborn, Michigan:

Day of Resistance
Saturday, 8 August
5:00 pm
William Ford Elementary
14749 Alber Street
Dearborn, MI
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/3377794328949210/
Organized by the Palestinian Youth Movement

Phoenix/Tempe, Arizona: 

Car Caravan for Palestine
Saturday, 8 August
5:30 pm
200 S Packard Drive
Tempe, AZ
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/291325265286953/
Organized by Students for Justice in Palestine at Arizona State University

Manchester, England:

Speak Out for Palestinian Resistance
Saturday, 8 August
12:00 pm
Piccadilly Gardens
Manchester, Britain
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/events/806939446504580
Organized by Victory to the Intifada and Fight Racism Fight Imperialism

London, England: 

International Day of Resistance for Palestine
Saturday, 8 August
12:00 pm
Kensington Gardens
Then march to Israeli Embassy
London, England
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/290621975595518
Organized by Protest for Palestine and Victory to the Intifada

Liverpool, England:

International Day of Resistance for Palestine
Saturday, 8 August
12:30 pm
Church Street
Liverpool, UK
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/290466158875569/
Organized by Fight Racism! Fight Imperialism!

Brighton, England: 

Solidarity with Palestine and the Days of Resistance
Saturday, 8 August
12:00 pm
Clock Tower
Brighton, UK
Learn more: http://brightonpsc.org
Organized by Brighton and Howe Palestine Solidarity Campaign

Auckland, New Zealand:

Rally for Palestine
Saturday, 8 August
1:00 pm
Western Park, Ponsonby
Auckland, New Zealand
More info: https://samidoun.net/event/auckland-rally-for-palestine/
Palestine Network Aotearoa – Auckland Tamaki Makaurau

Glasgow, Scotland: 

Long Live Palestine! Protest
Saturday, 8 August
1:00 pm
Outside Lidl
Victoria Road
Glasgow, Scotland
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/722899948493778/
Organized by Fight Racism! Fight Imperialism!

Vancouver, Canada:

Defend Palestine and Boycott Israel! Protest
Saturday, 8 August
2:00 pm
Broadway and Cambie
Vancouver, BC, Canada
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/events/3444171322281377
Organized by BDS Vancouver, Canada Palestine Association, Samidoun and IJV UBC

Gothenburg, Sweden:

Palestine will never give up! Protest
Saturday, 8 August
2:00 pm
Gustav Adolfs Torg
Gothenburg, Sweden
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/2427427610881051/ 
Organized by Samidoun Gothenburg

Knighton, Wales:

International Fast for Peace – Workshop on the Annexation of Palestine
Saturday, 8 August
3:00 pm
Knighton War Memorial
Knighton, Wales
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/1389941944532500/
Organized by XR Peace

Montreal, Quebec:

Demonstration for Palestine/Manifestation pour la Palestine
Sunday, 9 August
2:00 pm
Jarry Station
Montreal, Quebec
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/283616929403882/
Organized by a broad coalition of Montreal groups including SPHR McGill, Independent Jewish Voices, Academics for Palestine, Imaging Apartheid and more

Toronto, Canada:

Day of Resistance – Resurgence through Art and Education
Sunday, 9 August
3:00 pm
Yonge-Dundas Square
Toronto
More info: https://www.instagram.com/p/CDkdVnDg1EC/
Organized by the Palestinian Youth Movement

Copenhagen, Denmark:

Commemoration of Ghassan Kanafani and the Struggle for Palestine
Sunday, 9 August
3:00 pm
Solidaritetshuset
Griffenfeldsgade 41
Nørrebro, Copenhagen, Denmark
More info: https://samidoun.net/event/copenhagen-sunday-cafe-remembering-ghassan-kanafani-ongoing-struggle-against-zionist-colonialism/

Amsterdam, Netherlands:

Days of Resistance – Honoring Ghassan Kanafani and Naji al-Ali
Sunday, 9 August
6:00 pm
Museumplein
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/220642382587092
Organized by Samidoun Netherlands

Cleveland, Ohio: 

Day of Rage Protest for Palestine
Sunday, 9 August
4:00 pm
Cleveland Public Square
Centennial Park
Cleveland, Ohio
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/2770679799877493/
Organized by Midwest SJP

Join us to take action:

Today, the program of Israeli annexation continues to threaten Palestinians in the West Bank, including the most fertile agricultural land of the Jordan Valley, which is still slated for Israel’s latest land grab. Of course, this is simply the continuation of over 72 years of land theft, dispossession, apartheid and genocide – but it requires continued mobilization and action to confront, alongside the siege on Gaza, the mass imprisonment of Palestinians, the demolition of homes, the denial of Palestinian refugees’ right to return and further war crimes and crimes against humanity.

On this occasion, we salute all of the victims of Zionist colonization and we rededicate ourselves to struggle for everything Ghassan Kanafani lived and fought for: the liberation of Palestine and the liberation of humanity. The memory of his martyrdom is a Palestinian, Arab and international rallying cry for revolutionary change.

In this context, we call on all Palestinian communities and those who stand for justice in Palestine to join together to organize the Days of Resistance on August 7, 8 and 9, 2020. We urge all Palestinians inside and outside Palestine, and all of the national forces, popular institutions, youth, student and women’s movements, social justice movements and solidarity organizations to participate actively in “banging on the walls of the tank” – as in Kanafani’s Men in the Sun – to break down the walls of silence. Join in marches, popular activities, demonstrations and remind the world that the Palestinian people will continue to rise and confront all attempts of liquidation and destruction of the cause of Palestine and resist dispossession, exile and genocide – and that all people of conscience stand beside the Palestinian people in this critical moment. 

Samidoun Network in occupied Palestine and in the diaspora urges all to consider the days of Friday, Saturday and Sunday, 7 through 9 August, as days of comprehensive struggle, resistance and popular organizing against Zionist colonization throughout occupied Palestine, days of organizing demonstrations and political, cultural and media activities throughout Palestine, in exile and diaspora and everywhere around the world. These actions confront the ongoing Israeli crimes against the Palestinian people, including the Zionist “annexation” project and the deadly siege on Gaza, and aim to strengthen international solidarity with the Palestinian struggle and with the Palestinian prisoners’ movement inside Israeli occupation jails.

We urge all organizations in support of the Palestinian struggle, inside occupied Palestine and around the world, to raise the Palestinian flag and the images and words of the revolutionary writer Ghassan Kanafani in these marches and popular events.

Read the full call to action: https://samidoun.net/2020/07/call-to-action-days-of-resistance-for-palestine-august-7-9-2020/

If you are organizing an event, would like materials for your action, or have questions, please contact us at samidoun@samidoun.net or message us on Facebook.

You can also add your event at the form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfNaThNLE4IvJkYBt_NidTS8goYdvJsDXq_rHKrPWjCRq9QWg/viewform?usp=sf_link

The posters below can be used in your actions and activities! Feel free to use and modify for your local group:

Support Palestinian Resistance (Download PDF):

https://samidoun.net/site/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/SAMIDOUNsign-SupportPalestinianResistance-4-6-16.pdf

Free Palestinian Prisoners – Free Palestine from the River to the Sea (Download PDF):

https://samidoun.net/site/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/SAMIDOUNsign-FreeAllPalestinianPoliticalPrisoners-FreePalestineFromTheRiverToTheSea-4-6-16.pdf

End Administrative Detention – Dismantle the Israeli Prison Regime (Download PDF): 

https://samidoun.net/site/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/SAMIDOUNsign-EndAdministativeDetentionDismantleTheIsraeliPrisonRegimeWithPalestinianFlag-4-6-16.pdf

Zionism is Racism (Download PDF): 

https://samidoun.net/site/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/SAMIDOUNsign-ZionismIsRacism-4-6-16.pdf

Palestinian Resistance for Black Liberation (Download PDF): 

https://samidoun.net/site/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/SAMIDOUNsign-PalestinianResistanceForBlackLiberation-6-21-20.pdf

 

#Humboldt3 mark political, moral and legal win over Israeli colonialism and German state repression

Photo: Twitter, Stavit Sinai

On Monday, 3 August, the #Humboldt3 – three activists for justice in Palestine and the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) campaign – won a total political and moral victory at Berlin’s Moabit Criminal Court, accompanied by a largely legal victory as well. As the Humboldt 3 – Majed Abusalama, a Palestinian journalist from Gaza; Ronnie Barkan, an Israeli Jewish human rights defender; and Stavit Sinai, an Israeli Jewish anti-colonial scholar and philosophy teacher – note in their press release (reprinted below), “our win is first and foremost in promoting an unapologetic discourse of resistance to the criminal Israeli apartheid regime in Berlin — the last standing bastion for Zionism.”

Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network congratulates the Humboldt 3, the movement for justice in Palestine in Germany and the global solidarity movement on this important achievement. It must encourage all of us to continue to fight back against repression in all forms, defend resistance, stand in solidarity with one another and uphold the call for justice, return and liberation in Palestine – from the river to the sea. 

Majed Abusalama and Ronnie Barkan were acquitted of all charges, while Stavit Sinai was convicted of the most minor allegation available, likely in order to save face for the prosecution and the German state, which has pursued these activists for over three years for daring to speak up and oppose Member of Knesset Aliza Lavie, an official representative of the Israeli state giving a speech at Humboldt University in Berlin in 2017, by highlighting Israeli war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The trespassing charges against Abusalama and Barkan were dismissed at the beginning of the trial because of formal flaws in the prosecution’s case. It took three attempts throughout the day for the prosecutor to finally drop the charges, despite the judge’s position on the invalidity of the charges.

In the case of Sinai, she was convicted of “attempted assault” – despite video footage of her being punched in the face – for banging on the door of the lecture hall after being forced to leave. She insisted on re-entering to find out who was responsible for assaulting her – and this was provided as justification for convicting her of attempted assault!

While she was fined 450 EUR, she has refused to pay, saying that she would rather be imprisoned than submit to this injustice. All three left the court victorious, marking not only a legal victory but a political victory, as all three put Israel and its war crimes and crimes against humanity – and the complicity and responsibility of the German state – on trial inside and outside the courtroom.

https://twitter.com/Stav_Si/status/1290305018847879170

The protest outside the court, which began at 8 am prior to the trial, brought Palestinian community activists and Palestine solidarity and organizers from a number of organizations in Berlin as well as dedicated justice activists who traveled from Scotland, France, England and elsewhere to join the “people’s tribunal” against Israel. It represented the most important site of political victory in Berlin today.

Speakers from CAPJPO-EuroPalestine and the Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign joined the Humboldt 3 themselves and many Berlin activists from BDS Berlin, Palastina Spricht (Palestine Speaks) and a number of Palestinian community groups to urge justice for Palestine and accountability for Israeli crimes.

As the trial began, activists in Edinburgh, Scotland with the Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign held a protest outside the German consulate in the city in solidarity with the Humboldt 3.

At the same time, activists with the International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network held a vigil outside the German embassy in London.

These followed a series of international actions in support of the three activists, whose case symbolized the ongoing struggle against anti-Palestinian repression in Germany. In addition to the persecution of these BDS activists for highlighting Israeli war crimes in Gaza, there have been repeated attacks on Palestinian and solidarity organizing in Germany.

The Bundestag passed an anti-BDS resolution that has already been used to crack down on Palestinian organizing, Palestinian former political prisoner and torture survivor Rasmea Odeh was banned from speaking and deported, while Palestinian writer and activist Khaled Barakat was subjected to a political ban and then excluded from the country for his political speech on Palestine.

Photo: Collectif Palestine Vaincra

In Toulouse, France, the Collectif Palestine Vaincra put up posters and signs throughout the city in solidarity with the Humboldt 3, the right to boycott and justice for Palestine.

Photo: Collectif Palestine Vaincra

Protests and delegations to German embassies were also organized in Paris, London, Vancouver and several Australian cities.

Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network congratulates the Humboldt 3 on this important victory over the ongoing efforts to suppress Palestinian communities and activism for justice in Palestine in Germany and around the world. This legal, moral and political victory underlines the importance of continuing to resist repression everywhere it occurs in order to advance the struggle for the liberation of Palestine, from the river to the sea. We invite all to continue the struggle this Friday, Saturday and Sunday, 7-9 August, as part of the Days of Resistance to Israeli annexation and colonization!

The Humboldt 3’s press release follows. Read the original at the Humboldt 3 Medium website: 

Victory in the Humboldt3 Trial

Apartheid crimes are put in the spotlight

Berlin, August 3rd, 2020

Today concluded a three-year saga which started during our disruption of war criminal and apartheid representative MK Aliza Lavie, back in June 2017. The trial ended in victory!

Our win is first and foremost in promoting an unapologetic discourse of resistance to the criminal Israeli apartheid regime in Berlin — the last standing bastion for Zionism. Throughout the trial we insisted on making clear statements that emphasize our legal and moral obligation to oppose Israeli crimes against humanity.

We also claim victory because Majed and Ronnie were fully acquitted, while Stavit received the minimum possible punishment, probably to save face for the prosecution.

The trial started with the judge negating the trespassing charges altogether on the basis of formality flaws by the prosecution. He suggested that the prosecution will drop the case in its entirety. The state prosecutor needed to consult with her superiors, this ritual repeated itself three times throughout the day, where the judge encouraged her to drop the case and each time she was instructed by her bosses to carry on no matter what.

After five hours of deliberations which included slander, lies, contradictions, sexism, admission of testimony coordination and self incrimination of physically assaulting Stavit — the judge ended up siding with the state by handing in a guilty verdict albeit keeping it to the bare minimum.

Why was Stavit found guilty?

For banging on the door of the lecture room, insisting on re-entering to find out the details of the person who had just punched her in the face. Thanks to one of the Zionist witnesses who inadvertently showed the judge a video that he had never published before — the punching was clearly visible — giving immense credibility to Stavit’s testimony while discrediting each and every Zionist witness that testified against us.

Another victory that we are deeply grateful for is the overwhelming show of support and solidarity from across the world. From vigils outside German embassies, to a successful crowdfunding campaign in order to cover our mounting legal fees, to the coming together of many supporters who flew in to Germany especially in order to attend today’s trial and actively participate in the people’s tribunal outside the courthouse.

The struggle against apartheid continues on all fronts!

 

Collectif Palestine Vaincra responds to pro-apartheid attacks in “La Depeche” newspaper

After over 150 organizations in France and internationally came together to denounce the threats and accusations of the Crif – a pro-Israeli apartheid lobby group in France that claims to speak on behalf of the Jewish community – against the Collectif Palestine Vaincra, an active Palestine support organization in Toulouse, France (and a member of the Samidoun Network), La Depeche newspaper in Toulouse agreed to print the Collectif’s response to the attack by Franck Touboul, president of the Crif Midi-Pyrénées, which was initially published in its pages.

The response by Collectif Palestine Vaincra was published today, Monday 3 August.

Read the French original at the La Depeche website: https://www.ladepeche.fr/2020/08/03/un-collectif-pro-palestinien-denonce-les-amalgames-du-crif-9005066.php Despite having limited space, the Collectif expressed its position clearly on several issues:

The English translation follows:

Pro-Palestinian collective denounces the Crif’s confusion

The Collectif Palestine Vaincra responds to the remarks of the regional president of the Representative Council of Jewish Institutions in France (Crif) Franck Touboul.

What shocked you about what the Crif’s president said?

The president of the CRIF made very serious remarks against our collective and all the defenders of the Palestinian cause. First of all, we are outraged by the abhorrent practice of attempting to associate our collective with and equate it to the anti-Semitic attacks of Merah, thus abusing the memory of the victims. Moreover, Mr. Touboul is trying to make us look like troublemakers so that the prefecture will ban our activities. Such incitement to violence is irresponsible even though we have been running stands for a year without any concern.

When he denounces support for the PFLP, classified as a terrorist organization, or the call for a boycott which is forbidden in France, how do you react?

As far as the claims about forbidding the boycott are concerned, it is a lie. Moreover, last June, the European Court of Human Rights condemned France for obstructing freedom of expression following the conviction of activists for Palestine who called for a boycott of Israeli products. As far as the PFLP is concerned, all Palestinian organisations that refuse Israeli colonisation are considered “terrorists” by the European Union. This says a lot about the EU’s support for Israeli policy. This is an attempt to silence the Palestinian people and their supporters. There was a time when Mandela was also considered a “terrorist”.

How can challenging the Toulouse-Tel Aviv twinning (sister-city relationship) serve the Palestinian cause?

What we denounce is the economic and political collaboration of the city of Toulouse with the capital of a racist and colonial state. To want to put an end to this twinning is to oppose this policy. Many municipalities have suspended twinning arrangements. This is the case of Lille, which has suspended its twinning with the Israeli town of Safed, or a town in Loiret, which has suspended its twinning with Tuchow, a Polish town with homophobic policies. Toulouse, the former capital of the Spanish Republicans in exile, has a long antifascist tradition that it must honour by putting an end to this scandalous twinning.

Has anti-Zionism become the new face of anti-Semitism, as Franck Touboul claims?

Anti-Zionism is anti-racism. It opposes all forms of discrimination and defends the project of a free and democratic Palestine, from the sea to the Jordan River, for everyone, with equal rights regardless of religious belief, gender, etc. The defenders of Israeli apartheid stand hand in hand with anti-Semites (it should be remembered that the Israeli authorities regularly receive notorious anti-Semites such as the Hungarian Orban) and try to equate anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism in order to suppress support for the Palestinian people.

Solidarity with Jordanian teachers’ union: Free all political prisoners in Jordan!

Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network expresses its strongest solidarity with the Teachers’ Syndicate of Jordan and its detained leadership. On 25 July, the Jordanian regime ordered the union shut down and its 13 managing council members arrested. The detained union leaders are currently on hunger strike in Jordanian prisons. We join the calls for their immediate release and the release of all political prisoners and detainees in Jordanian prisons and for the restoration of the legitimate Teachers’ Syndicate, representing the Jordanian teachers.

The attack on the union – in which the minister of education has now attempted to appoint a replacement committee to serve in place of the union, with no real representation for teachers – comes in response to teachers’ widespread protests, heavily supported for the public, for a minimum standard of living, after the Jordanian government froze all public sector wage increases. It also follows a four-week strike in September 2019 for a salary increase that had been promised – but never implemented – in 2014. 

The Jordanian government extended the detained union leaders’ imprisonment without responding to their demands; however, people throughout Jordan have taken to the streets across the country to demand the release of the imprisoned union council and support the teachers’ demands. At the same time, the Jordanian state has attempted to block media reporting about the situation, including sharing social media content.

The widespread protests, especially the protests of the teachers themselves, have been met with harsh and violent police repression, targeting demonstrators with clubs and batons. The dissolution of the union violates Jordanian law as well as international conventions to which the Jordanian state is a signatory. 

Evening march for Jordanian teachers, 2 August

Beyond the legal violations, the attack on the teachers’ union in Jordan also reflects the ongoing war on the popular masses of Jordan by the monarchy, which has not only aimed to suppress labor organizing – long a stronghold of anti-normalization campaigns – but also all efforts to stand with the Palestinian people and the Palestinian resistance. 

The Jordanian state is one of the premier reactionary regimes in the region, tightly aligned to U.S. imperialism and engaged in the Wadi’ Araba treaty with Israel, which came only one year after the Oslo agreement. Long before Wadi’ Araba, however, the Jordanian monarchy harshly repressed Palestinian organizations and resistance movements, a policy that continues in various forms until the present day. These policies have benefitted only the ruling classes and the capitalist elite, while the Jordanian and Palestinian working class and popular masses face ongoing attacks on their basic rights, including the right to organize and strike. 

The Jordanian regime – much like several European states in a tight alliance with the U.S. and the Israeli settler colonial project – is engaged in a 15-year, $10-billion gas deal to purchase looted Palestinian gas from the Israeli occupation, against the wishes of the Jordanian public and even the parliament. Funds that could go to support Jordanian development and the well-being of the people – including Jordanian teachers – are instead going to subsidize Israeli colonization. 

Youth activists and political leaders have been detained, arrested, imprisoned and threatened for protesting Jordanian involvement with other reactionary regimes in promoting the normalization of the Israeli regime or urging an independent path free of U.S. imperialism and British and European colonial powers.

Recently, the Jordanian State Security Court criminally convicted five young men, accusing them of attempting to carry out a Palestinian resistance action against Zionist forces in occupied Jerusalem and sentencing them to five years in prison – part of ongoing “security coordination” with the Israeli occupation under the pretext of “anti-terror” laws. Such “anti-terror” policies have nothing to do with protecting the interests or security of Jordanians or Palestinians, but only serve the interests of U.S. imperialism – a powerful backer of the Jordanian regime – and its strategic partner, the Israeli occupation.

These repressive systems are the same ones targeting Jordanian teachers and their unions, which has included accusations of “cyber-crimes” against union leaders for posting messages in opposition to the government and in support of their wage demands. Indeed, the Jordanian regime has attempted to take advantage of the COVID-19 crisis not to increase social solidarity but to confiscate workers’ rights, repress protests and engage in political arrests, putting the victims of repression at even greater risk amid the pandemic. 

TAKE ACTION:

Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network urges supporters of Palestine to stand with the Jordanian teachers. In particular, we urge labor unions, labor activists and workers’ organizations to stand with the union and urge the release of political prisoners in Jordan. Contact the Jordanian mission to the United Nations at missionun@jordanmissionun.com and send them the following message:

Dear Ambassador Sima Sami Bahous, 

I write to express my strongest solidarity with the Jordanian teachers’ union and the rights of teachers in Jordan to organize and strike. I urge that the detained teachers’ union leaders be released immediately and that the Teachers’ Syndicate be restored to its proper and legal position representing the teachers of Jordan. Further, I urge the Jordanian government to end the crackdown on public expression, popular demonstrations, journalism and social media commentary. The actions taken violate both Jordanian law and Jordan’s obligations under the international treaties and covenants to which it is a signatory. Teachers and workers around the world stand with the teachers of Jordan in their demands for justice. 

Regards, 

YOUR NAME

International League of Peoples’ Struggle calls to join the Days of Resistance

Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network welcomes the call from the International League of People’s Struggle to join the Days of Resistance on August 7-9! The Days of Resistance have already been endorsed by over 100 organizations around the world. Samidoun is a member organization of ILPS and we look forward to coordinating together to build these days of struggle around the world! 

Get involved in the Days of Resistance:

Read the call to action in English | Arabic | Spanish | French | Swedish

**

JOIN THE MOBILIZATIONS FOR PALESTINE DAYS OF RESISTANCE ON AUGUST 7, 8, and 9! DEFEND THE LAND AND PEOPLE OF PALESTINE!

Shareable links for ILPS Action: English    Español    Français

The International League of Peoples’ Struggle stands in steadfast and militant solidarity with the Palestinian people in their fight against various forms of imperialist-Zionist aggression in their lands. Drawing strength from the July 1 Day of Rage which has forged a wide unity among global mass organizations, peace advocates, and activists, the ILPS pledges its continued unity to defend the land and people of Palestine in the Days of Resistance on August 7, 8, and 9.

Today, the Imperialist-Zionist Annexation plan continues to threaten the Palestinian people in the West Bank, including the most fertile agricultural land of Jordan Valley, which is still slated for Israel’s latest land grab. Hatched by Israeli Prime Minister Netenhayu, “Alternate Prime Minister” Gantz, and backed by US President Donald Trump, this plan is nothing but an attempt to legitimize and continue the over 72 years of colonization, apartheid, genocide, land theft, and ethnic cleansing of Palestine. US-backed Israel terrorists have exercised de facto control over the the annex parts of West Banks and Jordan Valley through settlements, checkpoints, segregated roads, occupation army, and even ‘security control’ over the Palestinian Authority.

Despite the massive condemnation and successful demonstrations held on July 1, activists in solidarity with Palestinians have been arrested and criminalized such as our dear comrades from the Collectif Palestine Vaincra who have organized their own protests in Toulouse, France. These attempts to ban demonstrations for Palestine took place after the European Court of Human Rights condemned France for its violations of freedom of expression and right to demonstrate. It must also be noted that until today, the government of France has also continues to imprison Georges Ibrahim Abdallah, a Lebanese Arab activist for Palestine who has been jailed for 35 years.

The ILPS, since its inception, has been firm and consistent in the struggle against US-led imperialism that manifests through the decades-long Zionist project, occupation and war crimes in Palestine.

In this light, the ILPS calls on all its member organizations and allied networks to be one with the call of the Palestinian people to stand for justice, land, and life in the Days of Resistance on August 7, 8, and 9, 2020. Let us organize mobilizations, political, cultural and media activities around the world. On these days, we also commemorate the historical contributions of Palestinian revolutionaries and martyrs who have offered their lives fighting for the liberation of Palestine. Let us highlight their struggles along with those of the Palestinian prisoners, in exile and diaspora, and those in refugee camps.

The people in this decades-long occupied nation have remained resolute in fighting for their homeland. The ILPS stands with the people of Palestine in their struggle for self-determination and genuine liberation.

From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free! Long live international solidarity!

Signed:

Len Cooper

ILPS Chairperson

31 July 2020

Vancouver delegation calls for justice for #Humboldt3 Palestine activists in Germany

A delegation of activists in Vancouver, Canada, representing the Canada Palestine Association, BDS Vancouver – Coast Salish Territories, Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network and Independent Jewish Voices at the University of British Columbia delivered a letter of protest to the consulate of the Federal Republic of Germany on Thursday, 30 July. The protest letter condemned the prosecution of three Palestine activists involved in the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement for a protest confronting an Israeli official.

The Humboldt 3 – Ronnie Barkan, Majed Abusalama and Stavit Sinai, a Palestinian from Gaza and two Israeli Jewish activists – were charged after they interrupted a Knesset member in 2017 about the massacre of civilians in Gaza during a speech at the Humboldt University of Berlin. The next trial in their case will take place at the Moabit Court in Berlin at 9 am on Monday, 3 August.

Supporters of the Humboldt 3 and defenders of the right to stand for justice in Palestine will gather outside the Moabit court at 8 am on Monday, 3 August. Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network supports this mobilization and encourages all to join in Berlin as well as to organize actions like this one in Paris, by delivering letters and holding protests outside German embassies and consulates around the world.

In Vancouver, the activist delegation delivered a message that called for the charges against the Humboldt 3 to be dropped immediately and for an end to anti-Palestinian repression in Germany. The letter highlighted other instances of anti-Palestinian state action in Germany, including the political ban and later exclusion of Palestinian writer Khaled Barakat and the deportation of feminist, torture survivor and former Palestinian political prisoner Rasmea Odeh.

The Vancouver activist delegation also sent their letter of protest to the German embassy in Ottawa, Canada and the German mission to the United Nations, urging an end to Germany’s complicity in Israeli crimes as well as its own violations of Palestinian rights. International delegations and protests in support of the Humboldt 3 have taken place in several international cities, including London, Toulouse, Paris and Adelaide and Canberra, Australia.

The letter follows:

https://samidoun.net/site/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Letter-to-German-Consulate.pdf

The Days of Resistance are growing – join over 100 organizations in the call to action, August 7-9

Over 100 organizations have joined Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network in the call for the Days of Resistance for Palestine, 7-9 August 2020, including National Students for Justice in Palestine in the United States, Within Our Lifetime – United for Palestine, the Palestinian Youth Movement, and Al-Awda, the Palestine Right to Return Coalition. Events are planned in New York, Vancouver, Charleroi, Manchester and Copenhagen, with more action announcements forthcoming. (See upcoming events below)

Today, the program of Israeli annexation continues to threaten Palestinians in the West Bank, including the most fertile agricultural land of the Jordan Valley, which is still slated for Israel’s latest land grab. Of course, this is simply the continuation of over 72 years of land theft, dispossession, apartheid and genocide – but it requires continued mobilization and action to confront, alongside the siege on Gaza, the mass imprisonment of Palestinians, the demolition of homes, the denial of Palestinian refugees’ right to return and further war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Annexation is a continuing threat – especially if the Israeli state thinks that it can pass unnoticed without continued resistance. The struggle is not over; in many ways, it has just begun. We urge you to continue mobilizing to defend the land and people of Palestine and join us in the Days of Resistance, August 7-9.

Get involved:

Read the statement in Arabic | Spanish | French | Swedish

If you are organizing an event, would like materials for your action, or have questions, please contact us at samidoun@samidoun.net or message us on Facebook.

Endorsers of the Days of Resistance:

  1. Al-Awda, the Palestine Right to Return Coalition
  2. Al-Karama, Palestinian Women’s Mobilization
  3. AFPS 63 (Association France Palestine Solidarité, Clermont-Ferrand)
  4. AFPS Sainté
  5. Africa for Palestine
  6. Alliance for Water Justice in Palestine
  7. American Muslims for Palestine – New Jersey
  8. Anti Imperialist Action Ireland
  9. Anti-Imperialist Camp (Vienna)
  10. Arizona Palestine Solidarity Alliance – Phoenix
  11. Associazione Amicizia Sardegna Palestina
  12. Australia Solidarity with Latin America
  13. Bangor and Ynys Mon Peace and Justice Group
  14. Bay Area Women in Black
  15. BDS Bahrain
  16. BDS Los Angeles
  17. BDS – New Zealand
  18. BDS Vancouver – Coast Salish Territories
  19. BOL (Bridge of Life)
  20. Brighton & Hove (UK) Palestine Solidarity Campaign
  21. Cambridge Bethlehem People to People
  22. Campagne Unitaire Pour la Libération de Georges Abdallah (Ile de France)
  23. Campaign to Boycott Supporters of Israel in Lebanon
  24. Campaign to Free Ahmad Sa’adat
  25. Campuses for Palestine
  26. Canada Palestine Association
  27. Canada Palestine Support Network (CanPalNet)
  28. Canada-Philippines Solidarity for Human Rights (CPSHR)
  29. Canadian BDS Coalition
  30. Chico Palestine Action Group.
  31. Citizens International
  32. Coalition Against Israeli Apartheid
  33. CODEPINK
  34. CODEPINK NYC
  35. Collectif Palestine Vaincra
  36. Collectif Rouge Internationaliste pour la Défense des Prisonniers Révolutionnaires (Paris- France)
  37. Collettivo Palestina Rossa
  38. Comité d’Action et de Soutien aux Luttes du Peuple Marocain (Paris- France)
  39. Comité pour une Paix Juste au Proche-Orient (Luxembourg)
  40. Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation
  41. Cordillera Peoples Alliance
  42. Dallas Palestine Coalition
  43. Dar al Janub – Union for Antiracism and Peace Policy
  44. Finnish-Arab Friendship Society
  45. Food Not Bombs Solidarity
  46. Free CUNY!
  47. Free Palestine Movement
  48. Freedom Road Socialist Organization
  49. Freedom Socialist Party
  50. GABRIELA BC
  51. Global Campaign to Return to Palestine
  52. Groupe Non-Violent LOUIS LECOIN
  53. Hilton Head for Peace
  54. ILPS Commission 10
  55. International Indigenous Peoples Movement for Self-Determination and Liberation (IPMSDL)
  56. International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network-Canada
  57. Independent Jewish Voices Canada
  58. Independent Jewish Voices – University of British Columbia
  59. International Action Center
  60. International Concerned Family & Friends of Mumia Abu-Jamal
  61. International League of People’s Struggle
  62. Internationalt Forum – Middle East Group
  63. Jewish Voice For Peace, Central Ohio
  64. Jewish Voice for Peace, Las Vegas chapter
  65. Jewish Network for Palestine
  66. Jews for Palestinian Right of Return
  67. Justice for Palestinians-Calgary
  68. Just Peace Advocates
  69. JVP San Diego
  70. Kenya Palestine Solidarity Movement 
  71. L’avenir Palestinien 
  72. Labor for Palestine
  73. Leonard Peltier Defense Committee
  74. Letters for Palestine
  75. Lutherans for Justice in the Holy Land
  76. MWAKENYA-DTM
  77. NY4Palestine
  78. Maoist Communist Party- Organizing Committee
  79. National Democratic Front of the Philippines
  80. National Lawyers Guild Palestine Subcommittee
  81. National Students for Justice in Palestine
  82. Nevadans for Palestinian Human Rights
  83. New York City Jericho Amnesty Movement
  84. Niagara Movement for Justice in Palestine-Israel (NMJPI)
  85. Northeast Political Prisoner Coalition 
  86. Oakville Palestinian Rights Association
  87. Paix Juste au Proche Orient – Ecaussinnes (Belgium)
  88. Palestine Solidarity Campaign South Africa
  89. Palestine Solidarity Collective at York University
  90. Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa
  91. Palestine Solidarity Network – Auckland
  92. Palestinian and Jewish Unity (PAJU)
  93. Palestinian Canadian Friendship Association 
  94. Palestinian Refugees Rights in Sweden 
  95. Palestinian Youth Movement 
  96. Peace Alliance Winnipeg
  97. Peoples Freedom Network
  98. Peoples Power Assemblies NYC
  99. People’s Strike
  100. People for Palestinian-Israeli Justice
  101. Philippines-Palestine Friendship Association
  102. PJPO (Paix juste au Proche Orient) Coordination Brabant Wallon
  103. Plate-forme Charleroi-Palestine
  104. Popular Conference of Palestinians Abroad
  105. Project South
  106. Queer Palestinian Empowerment Network
  107. Rank and File Action
  108. Red Banner Anti-Imperialist Collective
  109. Reforest the Earth, UK
  110. Revolutionary Communist Group / Fight Racism! Fight Imperialism!
  111. Sandiwa Network of Advocates for National Minority
  112. San Diego County Central Committee of the Peace and Freedom Party of California 
  113. SDSU Students for Justice in Palestine 
  114. SFU Students for Justice in Palestine
  115. Ship to Gaza – Sweden
  116. Single Mothers Association of Kenya
  117. Socialist Action – Canada
  118. Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights – Kingston, Ontario
  119. Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights – McMaster University
  120. Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights – University of British Columbia
  121. Struggle – La Lucha for Socialism
  122. Students for Justice in Palestine, University of South Carolina
  123. South African BDS Coalition
  124. Stand with Kashmir
  125. Sulong UBC
  126. The Palestine Project
  127. The Red Nation
  128. Tunisian campaign to boycott and oppose normalization with the Zionist entity
  129. Unione Democratica Arabo Palestinese
  130. US Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel
  131. Utahns for a Just Peace in the Holy Land
  132. Victory to the Intifada
  133. V-SB, Flemish Socialist Movement
  134. Within Our Lifetime – United for Palestine
  135. Women in Solidarity with Palestine (WSP) – Toronto
  136. Women of Diverse Origins/Femmes de diverses origines
  137. Workers World Party

Add your organization, collective or group’s endorsement at the link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScT3bduPO1aINxKdDD9BnlhfIisuyWyCdB5HZe7UGvhX59oEw/viewform?usp=sf_link

Events and actions: 

Samidoun Network in occupied Palestine and in the diaspora urges all to consider the days of Friday, Saturday and Sunday, 7 through 9 August, as days of comprehensive struggle, resistance and popular organizing against Zionist colonization throughout occupied Palestine, days of organizing demonstrations and political, cultural and media activities throughout Palestine, in exile and diaspora and everywhere around the world. These actions confront the ongoing Israeli crimes against the Palestinian people, including the Zionist “annexation” project and the deadly siege on Gaza, and aim to strengthen international solidarity with the Palestinian struggle and with the Palestinian prisoners’ movement inside Israeli occupation jails.

If you are organizing an event, would like materials for your action, or have questions, please contact us at samidoun@samidoun.net or message us on Facebook. You can also add your event at the form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfNaThNLE4IvJkYBt_NidTS8goYdvJsDXq_rHKrPWjCRq9QWg/viewform?usp=sf_link

Online Event (in Arabic):

Ghassan Kanafani and Naji al-Ali: How to restore their path?
Saturday, 8 August
10 am Pacific – 1 pm Eastern – 7 pm Europe – 8 pm Palestine
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/334711407919981/
Join over Zoom or watch on Facebook Live
Organized by Samidoun Network in occupied Palestine with Palestinian Youth Movement, HIRAK (Palestinian Youth Mobilization in Berlin), Al-Naqab Center for Youth Activities

Online Event (in Arabic):

Boycott as a National Duty
Sunday, 9 August
10:30 am Pacific – 1:30 pm Eastern – 7:30 pm Europe – 8:30 pm Palestine
Watch on YouTube Live: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gy1i0HQDEg
Organized by BDS Bahrain

Online Event (in Portuguese)

Day of Resistance for Palestine
Saturday, 8 August
10 am Pacific – 1 pm Eastern 2:00 pm Brazil – 8 pm Palestine
Online Event on Facebook Live
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/2725066504379134/
Organized by Frente em Defesa do Povo Palestino

New York City, NY:

DAY OF RESISTANCE Demonstration to Defend Palestine
Friday, 7 August
4:00 pm
72nd St and 5th Avenue
Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, NYC, US
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/events/1155028838189165
Organized by NY4Palestine, led by Within Our Lifetime – United for Palestine

 Copenhagen, Denmark:

Stop Annexation in Palestine – Palestinian People’s Kitchen with Mohammed Khatib
Friday 7 August
5:30 pm
Folkets Hus
Stengade 50
Copenhagen, Denmark
More info: https://www.facebook.com/events/298446194730505/
Organized by Stop Annekteringen af Palæstina 2020

Las Vegas, NV: 

Day of Resistance Demonstration and Car Caravan
Friday, 7 August
7:00 pm
737 N Main Street
Las Vegas, NV
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/events/s/day-of-resistance/691968751358813
Organized by Nevadans for Palestinian Human Rights, Jewish Voice for Peace – Las Vegas

Madrid, Spanish State: 

Demonstration in Solidarity with Palestine
Friday, 7 August
8:00 pm P
Atocha to Sol
Madrid, Spain
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/610593346525768/
Organized by Alkarama Palestinian Women’s Mobilization, Samidoun, Unadikum

Boston, MA:

Stand Out for the Days of Resistance
Saturday, 8 August
11:00 am
Porter Square MBTA Stop
Cambridge, MA
More info: https://samidoun.net/event/boston-stand-out-for-the-days-of-resistance/
Organized by Alliance for Water Justice in Palestine

Anaheim, California:

Days of Resistance Car Caravan
Saturday, 8 August
11:30 am
1151 N La Palma Parkway
Anaheim, CA
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/589957935215093/
Organized by the Palestinian Youth Movement; Al-Awda, the Palestine Right to Return Coalition; Yalla Indivisible

Berkeley, California:  

Day of Resistance Bay Area No to Annexation Banner Drop!
Saturday, 8 August
12:00 pm
I-80 Bridge
Berkeley, CA
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/222402215705454/
Organized by the Palestinian Youth Movement

Dearborn, Michigan:

Day of Resistance
Saturday, 8 August
5:00 pm
William Ford Elementary
14749 Alber Street
Dearborn, MI
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/3377794328949210/
Organized by the Palestinian Youth Movement

Phoenix/Tempe, Arizona: 

Car Caravan for Palestine
POSTPONED
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/291325265286953/
Organized by Students for Justice in Palestine at Arizona State University

Long Beach, California:

Witness for Palestine
Saturday, 8 August
12:00 pm
Corner of 2nd street and PCH
Long Beach, California
More info: https://www.facebook.com/People-for-Palestinian-Israeli-Justice-112553376225283
Organized by People for Palestinian-Israeli Justice

Manchester, England:

Speak Out for Palestinian Resistance
Saturday, 8 August
12:00 pm
Piccadilly Gardens
Manchester, Britain
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/events/806939446504580
Organized by Victory to the Intifada and Fight Racism Fight Imperialism

London, England: 

International Day of Resistance for Palestine
Saturday, 8 August
12:00 pm
Kensington Gardens
Then march to Israeli Embassy
London, England
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/290621975595518
Organized by Protest for Palestine and Victory to the Intifada

Liverpool, England:

International Day of Resistance for Palestine
Saturday, 8 August
12:30 pm
Church Street
Liverpool, UK
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/290466158875569/
Organized by Fight Racism! Fight Imperialism!

Brighton, England: 

Solidarity with Palestine and the Days of Resistance
Saturday, 8 August
12:00 pm
Clock Tower
Brighton, UK
Learn more: http://brightonpsc.org
Organized by Brighton and Howe Palestine Solidarity Campaign

Auckland, New Zealand:

Rally for Palestine
Saturday, 8 August
1:00 pm
Western Park, Ponsonby
Auckland, New Zealand
More info: https://samidoun.net/event/auckland-rally-for-palestine/
Palestine Network Aotearoa – Auckland Tamaki Makaurau

Glasgow, Scotland: 

Long Live Palestine! Protest
Saturday, 8 August
1:00 pm
Outside Lidl
Victoria Road
Glasgow, Scotland
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/722899948493778/
Organized by Fight Racism! Fight Imperialism!

Vancouver, Canada:

Defend Palestine and Boycott Israel! Protest
Saturday, 8 August
2:00 pm
Broadway and Cambie
Vancouver, BC, Canada
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/events/3444171322281377
Organized by BDS Vancouver, Canada Palestine Association, Samidoun and IJV UBC

Gothenburg, Sweden:

Palestine will never give up! Protest
Saturday, 8 August
2:00 pm
Gustav Adolfs Torg
Gothenburg, Sweden
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/2427427610881051/ 
Organized by Samidoun Gothenburg

Malmo, Sweden:

No to Annexation
Saturday, 8 August
2:00 pm
Stortorget
Malmo, Sweden
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/288683195737750
Organized by Palestinska Rättvisecentret i sverige

Knighton, Wales:

International Fast for Peace – Workshop on the Annexation of Palestine
Saturday, 8 August
3:00 pm
Knighton War Memorial
Knighton, Wales
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/1389941944532500/
Organized by XR Peace

Montreal, Quebec:

Demonstration for Palestine/Manifestation pour la Palestine
Sunday, 9 August
2:00 pm
Jarry Station
Montreal, Quebec
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/283616929403882/
Organized by a broad coalition of Montreal groups including SPHR McGill, Independent Jewish Voices, Academics for Palestine, Imaging Apartheid and more

Toronto, Canada:

Day of Resistance – Resurgence through Art and Education
Sunday, 9 August
3:00 pm
Yonge-Dundas Square
Toronto
More info: https://www.instagram.com/p/CDkdVnDg1EC/
Organized by the Palestinian Youth Movement

Copenhagen, Denmark:

Commemoration of Ghassan Kanafani and the Struggle for Palestine
Sunday, 9 August
3:00 pm
Solidaritetshuset
Griffenfeldsgade 41
Nørrebro, Copenhagen, Denmark
More info: https://samidoun.net/event/copenhagen-sunday-cafe-remembering-ghassan-kanafani-ongoing-struggle-against-zionist-colonialism/

Amsterdam, Netherlands:

Days of Resistance – Honoring Ghassan Kanafani and Naji al-Ali
Sunday, 9 August
6:00 pm
Museumplein
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/220642382587092
Organized by Samidoun Netherlands

Cleveland, Ohio: 

Day of Rage Protest for Palestine
Sunday, 9 August
4:00 pm
Cleveland Public Square
Centennial Park
Cleveland, Ohio
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/2770679799877493/
Organized by Midwest SJP

Long Beach, California:

Witness for Palestine
Sunday, 9 August
12:00 pm
Corner of 2nd street and PCH
Long Beach, California
More info: https://www.facebook.com/People-for-Palestinian-Israeli-Justice-112553376225283
Organized by People for Palestinian-Israeli Justice

Charleroi, Belgium:

This event is postponed due to Covid-19. Contact Plate-Forme Charleroi-Palestine for more details!
Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/events/607152996900798
Organized by the Plate-Forme Charleroi-Palestine

Take Action: International scientists and academics launch call for Prof. Imad Barghouthi’s freedom

Scientists, academics and scholars issued an international call demanding the release of their colleague, Prof. Imad Barghouthi, an astrophysicist at Al-Quds University in Palestine detained by Israeli occupation forces. Scientists for Palestine launched the petition; the initial signatories include Field Medalist – the equivalent of a Nobel Prize in Mathematics – David Mumford and a number of prominent scholars, including Chandler Davis, Professor of Mathematics, University of Toronto; Thomas Van Riet, Institute for Theoretical Physics, KU Leuven; and David Klein, Professor of Mathematics, California State University Northridge, and Rima Najjar, Retired Professor, AQU, both members of the Organizing Collective of the US Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel. (The full list of initial signatories is published below.)

The petition notes that “the harassment of Palestinian Scientists is a direct violation of human rights (Universal Declaration of Human Rights, article 27, as well as the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, article 15), as well as an attack to scholars everywhere.” It highlighted the case of Palestinian researcher Ubai Aboudi, director of the Bisan Center for Research and Development, who remains imprisoned today. “Both Prof. Barghouthi and Mr. Aboudi have worked with S4P on our international meetings and schools in Palestine, and their arrest and detention seriously hinders our work supporting science in Palestine,” noted Scientists for Palestine.

Prof. Barghouthi was seized from an Israeli occupation checkpoint in occupied Anata as he drove home from the university campus. He was brought before an Israeli military court on Thursday, 23 July, where his detention was extended once more until Monday, 27 July. This is not the first time the scientist has been targeted. A former NASA employee who earned his Ph.D. at Utah State University, Barghouthi was held under administrative detention – Israeli imprisonment without charge or trial – for two months in 2014 and was once again detained for six months in 2016. In both cases, his arrest sparked a strong response from the international scientific and academic community to demand his release.

He is threatened once again with administrative detention, arbitrary imprisonment without charge or trial that may be extended indefinitely, or being dragged before a military court with a conviction rate of over 99%. Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network demands the immediate release of Imad Barghouthi and all detained Palestinian scientists, academics, researchers and students. We urge supporters of justice in Palestine and the right to science everywhere to stand with Imad Barghouthi and join the call for his freedom.

TAKE ACTION:

1. Sign the petition organized by Scientists for Palestine to demand freedom for Prof. Imad Barghouthi, and share the petition on social media: https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/demand-an-end-to-the-harassment-of-palestinian-scientists-and-academics-and-an-immediate-release-of-prof-imad-barghouthi/

2. Support the academic boycott of Israel! Palestinians are routinely denied academic freedom, and Palestinian scholars and hundreds of students are targeted for arrest and imprisonment. Israeli academic institutions are deeply complicit in the structures of colonialism that deny Palestinian rights at all levels, from engaging in military research and development to training government officials. Learn more about the academic boycott at USACBI, BACBI, AURDIP and more.

PETITION TEXT AND INITIAL SIGNATORIES:

On Thursday, July 16th 2020, Professor Barghouthi, an astrophysicist at the university of Al-Quds [1] in East Jerusalem was detained [2] by Israeli military forces at a military checkpoint outside of Anata while he was travelling from the university campus to his home in Ramallah. He is now being kept in an Israeli detention facility, prohibited from contact with his dear wife and children. No charges have been brought against him and he faces the potential threat of administrative detention. Administrative detention [3], an illegal measure used arbitrarily by the Israeli military forces to detain Palestinians without any charges or trials. If charges were to be placed against him, he would face trial by an Israeli military court, which notoriously has conviction rates of almost 100% [4].

This arrest is not an isolated case. Prof. Barghouthi, one of Palestine’s most prominent scientists, was placed under administrative detention for two months [5] in 2014, and was again detained for six months [6] in 2016. Mr. Ubai Aboudi (a US citizen), the director of the Bisan Center for Research and Development, was abducted from his home in November 2019 and placed in administrative detention. He remains in prison to this day. Both Prof. Barghouthi and Mr. Aboudi have worked with S4P on our international meetings and schools in Palestine, and their arrest and detention seriously hinders our work supporting science in Palestine.

The harassment of Palestinian Scientists is a direct violation of human rights (Universal Declaration of Human Rights [7], article 27, as well as the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights [8], article 15), as well as an attack to scholars everywhere.

As concerned members of the international academic community, S4P calls for all scholars to join our plea and demand the immediate release of Prof. Barghouthi and a stop to the imprisonment of Palestinian scientists!

SIGN THE PETITION HERE!

INITIAL SIGNATORIES

Scientists for Palestine – Central Committee
Ahmed Abbes, Directeur de recherche au CNRS, Paris
Philip Argyres, Physics Department, University of Cincinnati
Michel Broué, Professeur émérite à l’université Paris Diderot
Noam Chomsky, Laureate Professor of Linguistics, Agnese Nelms Haury Chair, University of Arizona
Chandler Davis, Professor of Mathematics, University of Toronto
Michel Anne-Frederic DeGraff, Professor of Linguistics, MIT
John Ellis, Clerk Maxwell Professor of Theoretical Physics, King’s College, London
Catherine Goldstein, Directrice de recherche au CNRS, Paris​
Michael Harris, Professor of Mathematics, Columbia University
Nabil Iqbal, Department of Mathematical Sciences, Durham University
David Klein, Professor of Mathematics, California State University Northridge
Assaf Kfouri, Professor of Mathematics, Boston University
Madalena Lemos, Department of Mathematical Sciences, Durham University
Mario Martone, Department of Physics, University of Texas at Austin
Anat Matar, Philosophy department, Tel Aviv University, Israel
Haynes Miller, Professor of Mathematics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
David Mumford, Professor Emeritus of Applied Mathematics, Field Medalist, Brown University
Rima Najjar, Retired Professor, AQU
Andy O’Bannon, Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, Royal Society Research Fellow, University of Southampton
Joseph Oesterlé, Emeritus Professor of Mathematics​, Sorbonne University
Nasser Rabbat, Aga Khan Professor, Department of Architecture, MIT
Raid M Suleiman, Center for Astrophysics Harvard & Smithsonian
Annick Suzor-Weiner, Université de Paris-Saclay
Edriss Titi, Professor of Mathematics, University of Cambridge
Franz-Josef Ulm, Professor of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Thomas Van Riet, ​Institute for Theoretical Physics, KU Leuven
Roy Wagner, Prof. Geschichte u. Philo. d. Math.Wiss., ETH Zurich
Bernardo Zan, Department of Physics, Princeton University

References:

[1] Department of Physics, Al-Quds University: https://www.alquds.edu/en/staff-profiles/faculty-of-science-technology/175-department-of-physics/707-imad-ah mad-barghouthi.html.
[2]: http://english.wafa.ps/Pages/Details/118539.
[3]: B’tselem, the Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupation Territories: https://www.btselem.org/administrative_detention
[4]: Human Rights Watch report: https://www.hrw.org/report/2019/12/17/born-without-civil-rights/israels-use-draconian-military-orders-repress.
[5]: Nature:
https://www.nature.com/news/scientists-protest-detention-of-palestinian-physicist-1.16770.
[6]: Nature:
https://www.nature.com/articles/535231a.
[7]: Universal Declaration of Human Rights:
https://www.un.org/en/universal-declaration-human-rights/.
[8]: International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights: https://www.ohchr.org/en/professionalinterest/pages/cescr.aspx.

Resources on Imad Barghouthi and international support (from 2014 and 2016 cases)

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