Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network expresses its clear rejection of yet another sham of injustice, repression and capitalist exploitation, the so-called “diplomatic breakthrough” between the United States, Israel and the United Arab Emirates. In reality, this provides no peace and no justice, just a plan for continued collaboration between the forces of imperialism, Israel, Zionism and Arab reaction, along with escalated war on the Palestinian people and all people of the Arab region.
We stand firmly together with the Palestinian people and all progressive and anti-imperialist forces in the region against every form of normalization with Israel, including those of the Palestinian Authority.
We also stand with equal strength and commitment with the Palestinian prisoners’ movement, which has clearly rejected normalization. The prisoners’ movement’s clear position is a compass that directs our struggle and our political commitment.
The camp of aggression – imperialism, Israel, Zionism and Arab reaction – has dismantled the unity of peoples in the region and opened its people and resources for exploitation by local and global capitalist forces, to the benefit of the Zionist project and imperialism globally. The statement from the UAE, the U.S. and Israel is perhaps the clearest expression of the forces confronting the Palestinian people and all forces seeking justice and liberation throughout the region.
The triangle of normalization: An assault on the Palestinian people
This is only another part of triangle of normalization, represented by Camp David, Wadi Araba and Oslo, the so-called “peace” agreements brokered by the U.S. with Egypt, Jordan and the P.A., at the expense of the Palestinian people, the Arab people and the people of the region and the world. It is not only this latest agreement with the UAE that must be brought down, but this entire mechanism of injustice that falsely gives the name “peace agreement” to alliances for further colonization, war and apartheid. The UAE’s clear complicity in ongoing crimes against the Palestinian people is only made clearer through Trump’s announcement.
All of the reactionary Arab regimes that engage in these normalization projects – now including the UAE, as well as the P.A. – claim to pursue them for the benefit of the Palestinian people. In reality, the Palestinian people share a broad consensus in rejection of all of these normalization projects that come only at their expense. This agreement does not even pretend to stop the ongoing annexation and Zionist colonization of Palestinian land, merely to “suspend” it, attempting to provide Arab legitimacy to an illegitimate settler-colonial entity in Palestine.
On one hand, this announcement reflects the petty interests of the Trump administration in boosting a sagging re-election campaign. But it also reflects the long-term commitment of U.S. imperialism to divide, repress and exploit the people of the region and their resources, with the Israeli settler-colonial project forming the sharp edge of imperial domination while local agents, particularly monarchies, reaped personal wealth from their deals with imperialism.
The UAE has long been engaged in overt and covert normalization with Zionism, just as it has played a reactionary role throughout the region. The UAE remains directly involved in the so-called coalition waging war on the people of Yemen in an attempt to maintain imperial domination in line with the interests of fellow reactionary regimes, such as that of Saudi Arabia.
The UAE has played a dominant role in the manipulation of Egyptian politics, propping up the Sisi Camp David regime, which imprisons thousands of political prisoners in Egyptian jails while hailing the latest move toward normalization. This is not to mention the enrichment of the UAE ruling class at the behest of imperialism while engaging in the most brutal practices of super-exploitation of international migrant laborers and attempting to silence all criticism, let alone organizing efforts.
While the public announcement reflects a new step toward official normalization, the relationship between the U.S., UAE and Israeli state is nothing new. UAE and Israeli officials met in 2016 to undermine the Iran nuclear agreement and reimpose sanctions, building on previous alliances for the sale of advanced U.S. military technology to the UAE with the full support of the Israeli state. As noted in The Electronic Intifada, “These secret relations have included military and intelligence cooperation and even joint military exercises. The ground for Thursday’s announcement was laid in recent years with athletic competitions and business cooperation. Just weeks ago, an Emirati firm struck a deal with two Israeli arms giants…”
Such normalization projects represent only the narrow interests of the reactionary ruling class of these regimes, not the people of the Gulf. It is the responsibility of all forces that stand with the resistance to make clear that the masses of the people stand firmly against colonization and imperialism, and to escalate all forms of boycott and isolation of the Israeli regime and its partners in colonization.
Further, we note that as the U.S. announces this latest attack on the Palestinian people alongside the UAE and the Israeli state, we see that it is also ramping up its sanctions on Syria through the “Caesar Act” while threatening even more sanctions on Lebanon, only one week after the devastating Beirut explosion, in an attempt to enforce total compliance with Zionist colonialism and imperial domination throughout the region.
The U.S. and its partners also continue to escalate their war threats and brutal sanctions against Iran, a project in which both the Israeli state and the UAE are fully engaged. This represents not only a threat to Iran but to all forces in the region and internationally that chart any course independent of imperialism. One of the most important responses to this latest attack on the peoples of the region at the hands of Israel, Zionism, imperialism and Arab reaction is to fight to end all sanctions on Lebanon, stop new sanctions from being imposed, end the sanctions on Syria and end the war drive and sanctions on Iran. All of these unilateral coercive measures are part of an illegal imperial war of aggression being carried out through economic means as well as direct military attacks.
Confronting the Attack, Escalating the Boycott
This announcement further makes clear our responsibility to take action and intensify the boycott campaign against Israeli products, cultural institutions, academic institutions and complicit corporations. Normalization of colonialism must be met – and can be defeated – with popular anti-normalization, boycott and confrontation, and the international isolation of Israel. By building the boycott campaign on a popular level, as well as the official one, we can elevate solidarity with the Palestinian people and undermine these destructive normalization projects.
There is a powerful international example – the Plurinational State of Bolivia, under legitimate President Evo Morales, cutting ties with Israel, expelling its ambassador, and formally declaring the settler-colonial entity “a terrorist regime.” A key part of the strong support for Palestine and its national movement shares by progressive governments and popular movements across Latin America, this clear declaration of sovereignty and rejection of colonialism was almost undoubtedly a factor in the U.S. support for the coup regime that targeted the Morales government in November 2019, alongside the Bolivian government’s commitment to sovereign resource development and rejection of U.S. domination. Indeed, only weeks after the coup, its self-proclaimed officials announced their renewed ties with the Israeli regime.
The people of Bolivia have not given up and continue to struggle to bring down the coup regime. Standing in solidarity with the Bolivian people’s fight against the coup and against imperialism in Latin America is part and parcel of building a meaningful boycott movement for the international isolation of Israel.
Further, we urge all supporters of Palestine around the world to organize demonstrations and actions outside U.S., Israeli and Emirati embassies to hold them accountable for their ongoing crimes against the Palestinian people and denounce their active participation in the violation of Palestinian rights, including the detention of thousands of political prisoners, the demolition of homes, extrajudicial executions, the siege on Gaza, the confiscation of land, the construction of settlements, the apartheid regime ruling over Palestinians in ’48 and the denial of the right to return of millions of Palestinian refugees.
The boycott of the masses is stronger than the normalization projects of Israel, Zionism, imperialism and Arab reaction. This agreement must only strengthen our resolve to mobilize, organize and act to defend Palestine, confront imperialism and uphold the resistance.
Samidoun: Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network is an international network of organizers and activists working to build solidarity with Palestinian prisoners in their struggle for freedom, and for the liberation of Palestine from the river to the sea. Samidoun’s chapters and affiliates in Palestine, the United States, France, Canada, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden, Greece and elsewhere work together to build this movement. We invite you to contact us at samidoun@samidoun.net to share your actions, responses, or get involved with Samidoun.
Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network is one of the signatories of this call to progressive organizations and social justice movements, especially in the United States, to Drop the ADL. 100+ racial, economic, and social justice organizations and coalitions have issued an open letter with an accompanying primer encouraging community institutions and organizations to rethink their relationships to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL). The letter comes in response to the ADL’s history of targeting and co-opting movements for justice—particularly those led by communities of color—and advancing Islamophobia, policing, and global militarism while projecting a false badge of progressivism:
We are writing to ask you to reconsider the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) as a partner in social justice work.
Many organizations in our communities find themselves in spaces with the ADL, using its anti-bias education materials, or counting on the ADL to support our political goals. In light of a growing understanding of the ADL’s harmful practices, many progressive groups are rethinking those relationships.
Even though the ADL is integrated into community work on a range of issues, it has a history and ongoing pattern of attacking social justice movements led by communities of color, queer people, immigrants, Muslims, Arabs, and other marginalized groups, while aligning itself with police, right-wing leaders, and perpetrators of state violence. More disturbing, it has often conducted those attacks under the banner of “civil rights.” This largely unpublicized history has come increasingly to light as activists work to make sense of the ADL’s role in condemning the Movement for Black Lives, Palestinian rights organizing, and Congressional Representative Ilhan Omar, among others.
We are deeply concerned that the ADL’s credibility in some social justice movements and communities is precisely what allows it to undermine the rights of marginalized communities, shielding it from criticism and accountability while boosting its legitimacy and resources. Even when it may seem that our work is benefiting from access to some resources or participation from the ADL, given the destructive role that it too often plays in undermining struggles for justice, we believe that we cannot collaborate with the ADL without betraying our movements.
This primer lays out some of the ADL’s practices. We hope this can open conversations about this important issue.
Signed,
American Friends Service Committee
American Muslims for Palestine
Arab Resource & Organizing Center
Asian American Advocacy Fund
Association of Raza Educators LA (ARE LA)
Black Alliance for Just Immigration
Black and Pink, Inc.
Causa Justa: Just Cause
Center for Constitutional Rights
Center for Political Education
Christian Peacemaker Teams
Coalición de Derechos Humanos
Council on American-Islamic Relations
Critical Resistance
Democratic Socialists of America
Detention Watch Network
Dream Defenders
DRUM – Desis Rising Up & Moving
Ella Baker Center for Human Rights
Highlander Research and Education Center
International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network
Jewish Voice for Peace
Jews Against Anti-Muslim Racism
Jews for Racial & Economic Justice
MADRE
MediaJustice
Methodist Federation for Social Action
Mijente
Movement for Black Lives
Movement Law Lab
MPower Change
Muslim American Society
National Alliance Against Racist & Political Repression
National Lawyers Guild
New York Collective of Radical Educators
No Dakota Access Pipeline Global Solidarity Campaign
Palestine Legal
Palestinian Youth Movement
Project South
Queers Against Israeli Apartheid
Rising Tide – North America
School of the Americas Watch
Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ)
South Asian Americans Leading Together
Southerners on New Ground
Stop LAPD Spying Coalition
Teachers 4 Social Justice
The Red Nation
United We Dream
US Campaign for Palestinian Rights
US Palestinian Community Network
Veterans for Peace
War Resisters League
5 Elements Youth Program
About Face: Veterans Against the War
Action Center on Race and the Economy
Adalah Justice Project
Adalah-NY: Campaign for the Boycott of Israel
Al-Awda, the Palestine Right to Return Coalition
All-African People’s Revolutionary Party (GC)
allgo, a queer people of color organization
Alliance for Global Justice
Alliance for Water Justice in Palestine
Alliance of South Asians Taking Action
American Association of University Professors (NYU Chapter)
Americans United for Palestinian Human Rights
Arab American Action Network
Arab American Civic Council
Arab Jewish Partnership for Peace and Justice
Arizona Palestine Solidarity Alliance
Art Forces
Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Atlanta
Berkeley Copwatch
Black LGBTQ+ Migrant Project
Cafe Palestina
Catalyst Project
CODEPINK
Columbia University Students for Justice in Palestine
Committee for a Just Peace in Israel and Palestine
Dallas Peace and Justice Center
Disciples Palestine Israel Network
Episcopal Peace Fellowship-Palestine Israel Network
Equality for Flatbush
Eyewitness Palestine
Faculty & Staff for Justice in Palestine at UMass Boston
Freedom to Thrive
Friends of Sabeel – North America
GABRIELA Oakland
Grassroots International
Hilton Head for Peace
Holy Land Ministry at Spirit of Grace
Interfaith Action Group for Peace and Justice in Israel and Palestine
International Action Center
Islamic Center of San Diego
Islamic Circle of North America Council for Social Justice
Islamic Scholarship Fund (ISF)
Islamophobia Studies Center
Israel/Palestine Mission Network of the Presbyterian Church (USA)
Jewish Voice for Peace Rabbinical Council
Jews Say No!
Labor for Palestine
LAGAI – Queer Insurrection
Los Angeles Muslim Professionals
Majdal Community Center
Middle East Children’s Alliance
Muslim Justice League
National Immigration Project of the National Lawyers Guild
National Students for Justice in Palestine
Nevadans for Palestinian Human Rights
New Generation for Palestine
North Coast Coalition for Palestine
O’odham Anti Border Collective
PACT- Palestine Action Committee of Texas
Pan-African Roots
Participatory Action Research Center
Partnership for the Advancement of New Americans
Peace Action
Progressive Jews of St. Louis
QUIT! Queers Undermining Israeli Terrorism
Racine Coalition for Peace & Justice
Release Aging People in Prison/RAPP Campaign
Researching the American-Israeli Alliance
Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network
San Francisco Rising
Sisters of St. Dominic of Blauvelt, New York
Southsiders For Peace
St Louis Palestine Solidarity Committee
Stand with Kashmir
Stand with Kashmir
The Palestine Solidarity Committee -Austin, Tx
The Queer Palestinian Empowerment Network
Trans Liberation Collective
Tufts Arab Student Association
UAINE United American Indians of New England
Unbought Power
United Church of Christ Palestine Israel Network
United Methodists’ Holy Land Task Force
US Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel
Vigilant Love
Women In Islam Inc
Women Watch Afrika, Inc.
Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom US
Thursday, 13 August 10 am Pacific – 1 pm Eastern – 7 pm central African/European time – 8 pm Palestine time Over Facebook Live at https://www.facebook.com/Africa4Palestine/
Hear Joe Catron, the U.S. coordinator of Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network, a longtime international solidarity activist and freelance writer, speak on the growth and current state of Palestine activism in the United States.
The Days of Resistance for Palestine between 7-9 August 2020 brought together thousands of organizers and supporters of justice for Palestine around the world to stand with the Palestinian people, their resistance to colonization, annexation and occupation and their struggle for justice, return and liberation throughout Palestine, from the river to the sea.
Despite attacks from high-level Israeli officials that aimed to suppress these actions, noting that they had “warned Western governments” about the protests, over 100 organizations joined Samidoun’s call for the Days of Resistance, with an array of diverse actions taking place around the world. These events included protests, car caravans, art and cultural interventions and public educational events, all in support of the Palestinian people and their right to resist.
Read on for a detailed report on the events and actions around the world.
VIDEO:
This video for the Days of Resistance was created by the Collectif Palestine Vaincra in Toulouse, France, a member organization of the Samidoun network, which also organized several events and actions. It highlights the over 100-year history of Palestinian resistance to colonialism, Zionism and imperialism.
Thursday, 6 August – Confronting Elbit
London
The Days of Resistance kicked off with a powerful direct action on Thursday, 6 August, organized by new British network Palestine Action at the office of Israeli arms manufacturer Elbit Systems in London:
Direct action at the offices of Israeli arms company Elbit in London for the 2nd time — we will continue to escalate until we #ShutElbitDownpic.twitter.com/JZIkgADmVn
Activists covered the reception and outside the Elbit offices on the 6th floor in paint, using stencils and spraying graffiti stating “Shut Elbit Down”, “Tested on Palestine, used in Kashmir” and “We will be back”. They declared, “Your profits are covered in Palestinian blood!” Elbit supplied 85% of the Israeli military’s drones used in the bombardment of Gaza in 2014 and markets them to the world based on their “success” in use against Palestinian civilians.
“We will not stop, and we will continue to escalate our actions until Elbit Systems complicity in war crimes and apartheid here in the UK are shut down,” Palestine Action organizers declared.
Friday, 7 August – Taking the Streets
Copenhagen
Photo by Omar Said
On Friday, 7 August, the Days of Resistance officially launched as Mohammed Khatib, Europe coordinator of the Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network, addressed a “people’s kitchen” in Copenhagen at an event organized by the Stop Annekteringen af Palæstina 2020 (Stop Annexation of Palestine 2020) coalition, including the Internationalt Forum.
Photo by Omar Said
The event was attended mostly by youth activists in Copenhagen, and included a comprehensive discussion of the Palestinian struggle as well as the situation of Palestinian prisoners. A massive banner highlighting the campaign to free Georges Ibrahim Abdallah and Ahmad Sa’adat framed the room.
Photo by Omar Said
Madrid
Also on Friday, 7 August, activists with Alkarama: Palestinian Women’s Movement, Unadikum International Brigades and Samidoun called for a protest that marched through the streets of Madrid in solidarity with the Palestinian people and their resistance.
Marchers carried a banner demanding freedom for political prisoners as well as highlighting Palestinian prisoners, including student prisoners like Mays Abu Ghosh and Ruba Fahmi.
“Our struggle against Zionism and colonialism continues, until the return of all Palestinian refugees to our homeland, the liberation of the land and the people and the construction of a democratic society in all of Palestine, a society of justice, freedom and equality,” declared Jaldia Abubakra of Alkarama, presenting the statement of the demonstration.
New York City
In New York City, the NY4Palestine Coalition, led by Within Our Lifetime – United for Palestine alongside member organizations Al-Awda, the Palestine Right to Return Coalition; American Muslims for Palestine – NJ; Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network and many community endorsers, organized a massive Day of Resistance protest, marching through the streets of Brooklyn from the heart of the Palestinian community in Bay Ridge.
The rally drew together hundreds in the Arab and Palestinian communities as well as an outpouring of internationalist solidarity from youth representing other neighborhoods and struggles.
Las Vegas
In Las Vegas, Nevadans for Palestinian Human Rights joined with Jewish Voice for Peace – Las Vegas and Las Vegas Democratic Socialists of America to organize a rally and car caravan for the Days of Resistance, headed by a large mobile billboard truck carrying bright messages in solidarity with the Palestinian struggle and the Days of Resistance.
Saturday, 8 August – Actions Around the World
Anaheim
The actions continued on Saturday, 8 August as the Palestinian Youth Movement came together with Al-Awda, the Palestine Right to Return Coalition for a rally and car caravan in Anaheim, California. Protesters highlighted Palestinian joint struggle with liberation movements around the world, especially the Black Liberation Movement, and emphasized the demand to defund and abolish the police:
Boston
Also, on Saturday, 8 August, the Alliance for Water Justice in Palestine protested in Porter Square, Cambridge, to raise awareness and attention against Israeli apartheid, focusing particularly on the recent arrest of Palestinian human rights defenders like Mahmoud Nawajaa of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions National Committee in Palestine.
Berkeley
Photo: Ramsey El-Qare
In Berkeley, California, the Palestinian Youth Movement organized a banner drop at the 1-80 Bike Bridge over the interstate, which included participants on foot, bikes and cars, carrying the message of a free Palestine from the river to the sea. Dozens of Palestinian youth and their supporters participated in this action that caught the eyes and the attention of thousands of motorists.
The Days of Resistance march in Dearborn, jointly organized by the Palestinian Youth Movement and Detroit Will Breathe, brought members of the Arab, Black, Indigenous and Filipino struggles for justice together to march against Zionist land theft and the global fight against racism, colonialism and the military industrial complex.
Speakers emphasized the ongoing struggle for freedom in Kashmir, the movement of the people of the Philippines, Israeli complicity in repressing people’s rights in Colombia, as well as the settler-colonial anti-indigenous alliance between Canada and the Israeli state.
The protest also marched to London Drugs and the BC Liquor Store to highlight boycott campaigns, specifically targeting Teva Pharmaceuticals, HP technology products and Israeli settlement wines, sold in provincial stores despite being produced on the occupied lands of the Palestinian West Bank and Golan Heights.
Speakers emphasized that many of the same officials and companies responsible for the repression of Indigenous sovereignty on Turtle Island are also involved in profiting from the colonization of Palestine.
Toulouse
On Saturday, 8 August, the Collectif Palestine Vaincra organized a stand for Palestine at metro Jean-Jaures in Toulouse as part of the Days of Resistance, distributing hundreds of flyer and leaflets highlighting the boycott of Israel and corporations profiting from the colonization of Palestine.
Participants also raised 270 EUR to support the Al-Naqab Center in Bourj al-Barajneh camp in Lebanon after the devastating explosion in Beirut on 4 August. They carried signs and placards calling for the liberation of Palestinian political prisoners, especially Ahmad Sa’adat and Khalida Jarrar, and carried Palestinian and Lebanese flags.
Auckland
On 8 August, activists from Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa – Auckland/Tamaki Makaurau organized an action for the Days of Resistance to demand an end to New Zealand’s complicity with Israeli war crimes, calling for New Zealand officials to put an end to military coordination with the Israeli occupation. They received many honks of support from passing cars before marching to New Zealand army headquarters to demand that NZ stop purchasing weapons from Israel.
Gothenburg
In Gothenburg, Sweden, organizers with Samidoun Gothenburg joined with a number of Palestinian and solidarity organizations to hold a protest, “Palestine will never give up!” at Gustaf-Adolfs-Torg in central Gothenburg.
Protesters highlighted the case of Palestinian child prisoners as well as supporting Palestinian resistance, especially amid ongoing annexation threats by the Israeli colonial regime.
Malmo
Protesters also took to the streets in Malmo, Sweden, gathering at Stortorget in a rally against annexation organized by the Palestinska Rättvisecentret i sverige. They gathered to demand justice for Palestine and stand together against ongoing Israeli colonization.
Copenhagen
In Copenhagen, activists continued their actions for the Days of Resistance, as activists organized a “Free Palestine” banner drop in the city center on 8 August.
Manchester
In Manchester, Fight Racism! Fight Imperialism! organized a protest and stand highlighting solidarity with the Palestinian resistance, especially the Palestinian prisoners.
Activists gathered in Piccadilly Square to distribute information, highlight anti-imperialist struggle and build solidarity with the Palestinian people, including campaigns to boycott complicit British corporations like Marks and Spencer.
Protesters also expressed solidarity and support for fellow liberation struggles, with speakers from the West Papua movement showing solidarity with Palestine and building joint struggle at the protest.
Liverpool
In Liverpool, Fight Racism! Fight Imperialism! organized a stand and protest action in a busy area of the city, joining the Days of Resistance with a call for freedom for Palestine and all revolutionary political prisoners around the world.
Glasgow
Fight Racism! Fight Imperialism! in Glasgow and the Revolutionary Communist Group took to the streets to join the Days of Resistance on 8 August.
Participants cheered: “Long Live Palestine! Victory to the Intifada! Freedom for all Palestinian political prisoners! Zionism is racism!” They highlighted the cases of Palestinian prisoners, including Ahmad Sa’adat and Georges Ibrahim Abdallah.
The action also highlighted the struggle of Irish political prisoners and those being persecuted by British imperialism in Ireland, demanding justice for Liam Campbell, Ciaran Maguire and Zack Smyth.
Brighton
The Brighton and Hove Palestine Solidarity Campaign organized an action in Brighton’s city center on Saturday, 8 August for the Days of Resistance. Participants carried massive Palestinian flags and banners declaring: “No Annexation, No Occupation” and “Justice for Palestine.” They highlighted the cases of Palestinian political prisoners and human rights defenders jailed by Israel, calling for freedom and justice for Palestine:
Several additional actions also took place on 8 August, with XR Peace organizing a workshop on annexation and resistance in Palestine as part of a peace and solidarity fast remembering Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Knighton, Wales, while activists in Long Beach, California, organized a solidarity stand at the roadside on 8 and 9 August calling for justice in Palestine.
Sunday, 9 August – The Resistance Continues
Bloomington
On Sunday, 9 August, the resistance continued as the Culture Work Collective and For the People Bloomington in Bloomington, Indiana, collected and distributed for postering around the city a number of posters and images created to support the Days of Resistance and the Palestinian people’s struggle for liberation.
Montreal
Photo: Document Everything
Many organizations and activists in Montreal, including the Fondation canado-palestinienne du Québec, Independent Jewish Voices, SPHR McGill, SPHR UdeM, Academics for Palestine and the Canadian Foreign Policy Institute, joined together in a mass demonstration on Sunday, 9 August to call for an end to the Canada-Israel Free Trade Agreement.
Photo by Abdelali Essaouis
Hundreds joined the march, which included a massive Palestinian flag that stretched down the street alongside Metro Jarry.
Toronto
In Toronto, the Palestinian Youth Movement organized a youth art-focused action on Sunday, 9 August as part of the Days of Resistance, first at Yonge and Dundas Square and then moving to the steps of Ryerson University. Participants distributed information about Palestinian political prisoners and the threatened annexation of Palestine, spoke out about the ongoing attacks on Palestine and the Palestinian people’s continued resistance and created signs and banners.
Participants also shared Palestinian culture, including plants, food, embroidery, music and dance, and linked the Palestinian struggle with liberation movements globally, including the Indigenous struggle for sovereignty and self-determination and the Black Liberation Movement.
Toulouse
The Days of Resistance continued in Toulouse as the Collectif Palestine Vaincra created a mural to salute the Palestinian resistance on Sunday, 9 August. With the word “resistance”/muqawama in Arabic at the center, the mural also highlighted various Palestinian figures of resistance: Ghassan Kanafani, Samira Azzam and Basil al-Araj alongside a map of Palestine from the river to the sea.
Participants carried Palestinian flags and banners for Samidoun and the Collectif Palestine Vaincra as they created the mural collectively.
Copenhagen
Photo by Omar Said
Further actions for the Days of Resistance continued in Copenhagen, where the Internationalt Forum – Middle East Group hosted Mohammed Khatib, Europe coordinator of Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network, for an event remembering the legacy of Ghassan Kanafani’s revolutionary cultural work and commitment to Palestinian resistance.
Photo by Omar Said
The event was attended by Anni Kanafani, Ghassan Kanafani’s widow and the founder of the Ghassan Kanafani Cultural Foundation, which runs kindergartens and children’s programs throughout the Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon, as well as Fayez Kanafani, Ghassan Kanafani’s son. Anni Kanafani introduced Mohammed Khatib, noting that Mohammed, as a child, had attended summer programs organized by the Foundation in Ain el-Helweh refugee camp.
Photo by Omar Said
The event was moderated by Irene Clausen of the Internationalt Forum, longtime Palestine organizer and author of the book, “The PFLP and Palestine” (published in Danish.)
Photo by Omar Said
Amsterdam
In Amsterdam, Samidoun Nederland organized an action for the Days of Resistance on Museumplein, which included a discussion of the revolutionary cultural and political legacies of Ghassan Kanafani and Naji al-Ali. Participants carried signs in support of Palestinian political prisoners, including Ahmad Sa’adat and Georges Ibrahim Abdallah.
They also joined the large action for Indigenous Peoples’ Day, alongside Makibas Foundation, Free West Papua Campaign, Building the Baileo and several Kurdish organizations to express anti-colonial and anti-imperialist solidarity.
Cleveland
Midwest SJP and the Palestinian Youth Movement organized a Day of Rage in Cleveland on Sunday, 9 August for the international action days, marching from Public Square to defend Palestine against colonization and annexation.
Online Events Continue the Resistance
The Days of Resistance also included several online events and actions. Samidoun Network in occupied Palestine, along with Palestinian Youth Movement, Al Naqab Center and the HIRAK (Palestinian Youth Mobilization in Berlin) hosted an online webinar with Palestinian writer Khaled Barakat and Bir Zeit University professor Amira Silmi on Saturday, 8 August, discussing the lives, struggles and revolutionary legacies of Naji al-Ali and Ghassan Kanafani (in Arabic).
Watch the full video below:
In Brazil, the Frente em Defesa do Povo Palestino organized an online event remembering Ghassan Kanafani and expressing their commitment to continued struggle as part of the Days of Resistance on 8 August. Participants also expressed their solidarity with the people of Lebanon, especially workers and refugees, amid the explosion in Beirut and its aftermath. Watch the video (in Portuguese)
BDS Bahrain organized an online event for the Days of Resistance, “Boycott as a Duty,” in which Prof. Abdel-Rasoul Ashour spoke about the importance of confronting normalization, especially in the Arab region. Watch the full video in Arabic:
The We Rise Podcast created a podcast, with interventions, music and more, for the Days of Resistance, with the theme, “No to Annexation.” The creators noted, “Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network has called for all organizations in support of Palestinian liberation to endorse the “Days of Resistance”, in occupied Palestine and internationally, August 7-9, 2020. In response, Palestinian Youth Movement (PYM) chapters and many organizations across the nation are participating in actions throughout this weekend.”
BDS Boston also organized online cultural interventions as part of the Days of Resistance and Black August, highlighting Palestinian and Black writings of resistance. The BDS Boston campaign has featured works by Ghassan Kanafani, Kamal Nasir, George Jackson, Fadwa Tuqan and more, including a video of “Here we shall stay” by Tawfiq Zayyad:
A new organization in Munster, Germany, Palästina Antikolonial Munster, launched during the Days of Resistance after organizing a protest on 25 July against annexation and colonization in Palestine. Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network salutes Palästina Antikolonial Munster and its clear anti-racist, anti-colonial vision and commitment to the liberation of Palestine.
Samidoun Stockholm also issued a statement for the Days of Resistance, emphasizing: “This weekend’s mobilizations show that another world is possible. Samidoun Stockholm claims with the utmost clarity that we also have to intensify our conscious struggle against imperialism and its lackeys. We extend our warmest greetings of solidarity to the struggling peoples around the world and we extend our promise to strengthen practical international solidarity. We demand:
Freedom for all Palestinian prisoners! France and the USA out of Asia! An end to the Israeli occupation and a free, unified Palestine!”
As the Days of Resistance come to a close, the Palestinian resistance – and our actions of struggle – move forward, continue and grow stronger. We must continue to stand with the Palestinian people and the Palestinian resistance in all of its forms, to defend Palestine from colonization, annexation, occupation and apartheid. Together, we organize to confront imperialism, Zionism and the reactionary regimes that continue to collaborate with these forces of oppression, and to struggle for liberation. Internationalist struggle that recognizes our firm connections of unified struggle against our common oppressors is central to our movement, including to the struggle to free revolutionary political prisoners.
We salute all of the endorsers, organizers, activists and communities involved in building these protests and actions, and we look forward to continuing to struggle, hand in hand, for Black liberation, Indigenous liberation, Palestinian liberation and the liberation of all peoples from imperialism and colonialism. Every victory of the peoples in struggle against these forces is a victory for Palestine and for our collective liberation.
To join Samidoun or find out more about how you can get involved with our work, organize a chapter, or volunteer to support our organizing: contact us via email at samidoun@samidoun.net or on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.
Samidoun’s existing chapters are below. We invite you to join us to stand with the Palestinian prisoners, the Palestinian resistance and the Palestinian people, with an internationalist vision of struggle, for the liberation of Palestine from the river to the sea.
The Days of Resistance for Palestine – 7 through 9 August 2020 – are beginning with events and actions in over 25 international cities, online webinars and lectures, with many listed below. As the Days of Resistance have approached, Israeli colonial officials have ramped up a campaign of attacks against the protests with smears in the Jerusalem Post, the New York Daily News and Israeli TV in an attempt to suppress and vilify those taking the streets to stand with Palestine. These attacks only make clear the importance of strong, loud protests and actions throughout these days of organizing!
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, Toronto, Belgium, France, Brazil, Gothenburg, Copenhagen, Las Vegas, Manchester, London, Brighton, Knighton, Glasgow, Auckland, Phoenix, Berkeley, Anaheim, Dearborn, Liverpool, Amsterdam, Cleveland and more, with further events to come.
We encourage organizers of these events to show solidarity with the people of Lebanon – including Palestinian refugees, migrant workers, Syrian refugees, and the over 50% of Lebanese living in poverty – affected by the devastating explosion at the Port of Beirut. At the same time, Lebanon is being targeted for yet more colonial exploitation, sanctions and economic devastation by the U.S., France and other imperialist powers. Whether holding a moment of silence, raising the Lebanese flag or collecting donations to support people in Lebanon, the Days of Resistance are also days of solidarity.
Attend and invite others to the events below! If your event is not listed:
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
Les rues de Beyrouth crient le nom de Georges Abdallah lors de la venue de Macron au Liban ! La France doit libérer ce communiste libanais qui est emprisonné depuis 1984 et libérable depuis 1999 !#FreeGeorgesAbdallahpic.twitter.com/AoxuRewQgo
— Free Georges Abdallah (@FreeGIAbdallah) August 6, 2020
Lors de la visite de Macron à Beyrouth au Liban, plusieurs personnes interpellent le président de la République française sur le maintien en prison de Georges Abdallah, communiste libanais emprisonné en France depuis 1984 et libérable depuis 1999. Cet acharnement doit cesser ! pic.twitter.com/3507m5ZzWr
— Free Georges Abdallah (@FreeGIAbdallah) August 6, 2020
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.
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!
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!
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
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
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
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
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.
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.
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.
We were acquitted with one only message. The German state is acting ridiculous when they found nothing to criminalize us while we are speaking up about crimes against humanity and apartheid. They created a new minor crime to make us pay 450 Euro. Seriously Germany fails humanity pic.twitter.com/8vHwf49Blq
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.
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.
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.
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!
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!
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.
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.
Ghassan Kanafani and Naji al-Ali: How to restore their path?
Online Event (in Arabic):
Day of Resistance for Palestine
DAY OF RESISTANCE Demonstration to Defend Palestine
Stop Annexation in Palestine – Palestinian People’s Kitchen with Mohammed Khatib
Day of Resistance Demonstration and Car Caravan
Madrid, Spanish State: 
Stand Out for the Days of Resistance
Days of Resistance Car Caravan
Day of Resistance Bay Area No to Annexation Banner Drop!
Day of Resistance
Car Caravan for Palestine
Speak Out for Palestinian Resistance
London, England: 
International Day of Resistance for Palestine
Solidarity with Palestine and the Days of Resistance
Auckland, New Zealand:
Glasgow, Scotland: 
Vancouver, Canada:
Gothenburg, Sweden:
Malmo, Sweden:
International Fast for Peace – Workshop on the Annexation of Palestine
Montreal, Quebec:
Toronto, Canada:
Commemoration of Ghassan Kanafani and the Struggle for Palestine
Days of Resistance – Honoring Ghassan Kanafani and Naji al-Ali
Day of Rage Protest for Palestine
