On Wednesday, 20 January, Samidoun Gothenburg joined with others for a solidarity evening with the imprisoned Palestinian leader Khalida Jarrar. The evening began with a presentation about Jarrar’s case and why we, with many others, see her case as a symbol and a critical example for thousands of Palestinians detained each year by the Israeli occupation. After the presentation, various initiatives and opportunities for organizing in solidarity with the Palestinian liberation struggle were discussed.
Participants in the event took solidarity photos and wrote letters to Khalida Jarrar and other Palestinian prisoners, including Ahmad Sa’adat, who we recently organized a solidarity evening to support.
Remember: Khalida Jarrar is not yet free! The fact that her latest administrative detention order expires on 28 February is no guarantee that the Israeli prison authorities will release her, as administrative detention orders can be renewed indefinitely for up to 6 months at a time. Please see the contributions of our international comrades on the case of Khalida Jarrar and be inspired to organize your own solidarity actions!
If you were unable to join the event, Samidoun Gothenburg has provided Swedish-language downloadable materials:
Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network condemned the executions carried out by the Egyptian regime against 9 Egyptian youths, calling for an end to the “systematic and continuous repression and killings by the fascist regime of General Abdel-Fattah Sisi.”
“What is happening in Egyptian prisons is systematic and documented torture. While this is widely known, it does not receive sufficient attention from international human rights bodies and legal institutions,” said Mohammed Khatib, the Europe coordinator of Samidoun. He referred to the “disgraceful collaboration between the so-called international community and the generals in Cairo.”
Khatib launched a scathing attack on the Egyptiann regime and what he called “the silence of the Egyptian and Arab parties who describe themselves as standing with the people. They say with words that they oppose the Camp David regime, but remain silent on the daily violations of the rights of tens of thousands of Egyptian prisoners in Egyptian jails by that same Camp David regime.”
He pointed out “the perpetrators of torture and killings that took place in the prison known as ‘Scorpio’ (the Tora prison complex) and other jails and prisons have not been held accountable for their crimes. As a result, this only encouraged further repression and organized state terror on the part of the generals.”
The steadfastness of political prisoners in the jails of the Arab reactionary, dictatorial regimes stems from the deep and absolute conviction and reality in the interdependence and linking of the struggle of the national and social movements in the Arab world with the struggle of the Palestinian people and the Palestinian prisoners, which is the spearhead of the liberation cause,” said Khatib. “The crimes perpetrated by the Camp David regime against the poor and the oppressed in Egypt cannot be separatedfrom the crimes of the Zionist enemy and imperialist powers in the world, because of the Egyptian state’s dependence on these same imperialist forces. These powers see these regimes as a tool to destroy popular movements in order to further plunder and steal the resources of the Arab peoples.”
He called on activists and friends of the Samidoun Network internationally to stand with political prisoners in Egyptian jails and advocate and organize against the executions while working for the release of all Egyptian prisoners.
Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network urges supporters and friends of Palestine and the prisoners to take action by signing the online petition against racism at San Francisco State University (SFSU). The University is a frequent site of struggle in which Palestinian students and faculty, as well as other marginalized communities, have been attacked by Zionist campaigns that have met with little serious response from SFSU administrators. Departments like AMED (Arab and Muslim Ethnicities and Diasporas) studies have been underfunded and unsupported by the University, even in violation of signed agreements.
Most recently, the university issued a document listing “religious holidays” that may be observed by students and other members of the University community. Shockingly, “Israel Independence Day” was included on this list despite the fact that it is not a religious holiday and – much more significantly – is essentially a celebration of the Nakba, the expulsion of over 750,000 Palestinian refugees from their homes and lands by armed Zionist settler colonial forces. Today numbering in the millions, Palestinian refugees have been denied their right to return for over 71 years. Adding insult to injury, the list also omitted major significant Muslim holidays, including Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr, despite the fact that they are widely recognized by members of the SFSU community as well as nearly 2 billion Muslims around the world.
Concerned SFSU community members will be bringing the issue to the Academic Senate on Tuesday, 19 February at 2 pm PST. Please sign the online petition so that your support can be heard at the meeting!
The undersigned students, staff, faculty, administrators, alumni and concerned community members are outraged at the SFSU administration’s racism and Islamophobia evident in the recent list of so-called “religious holidays” adopted by the university.
SFSU listed “Israel Independence Day” as a religious holiday for Judaism. A religious holiday is a day set aside for religious observance. The 1948 date is no such religious holiday and in fact marks the Nakba — the forcible displacement of over 750,000 Palestinians through terror and paramilitary attacks on civilian villages and cities. Millions of Palestinian refugees have been denied the right to return to their home for nearly 71 years by Israel. A consensus among historians, including Israelis, confirms this history and rejects the nonsensical claims of voluntary departure put forth by Israeli propagandists. Designating Palestinian dispossession as a celebration can only be understood as declaration of anti-Palestinian and anti-Arab racism. Making a religious day out of it is even worse. This is also an affront to SFSU’s Jewish students, faculty, staff and community members who have been outspoken in their refusal to allow Israeli colonialism, occupation and apartheid to speak for them.
To add insult to injury, the same SFSU calendar of religious observances omits Ramadan and Eid Al-Fitr, two major holidays celebrated by almost 2 billion Muslims. SFSU has since revised the list though it remains inaccurate and without addressing its pro-Israel bias. The combination of these two elements in one document, and waiting for a whole week to address one element albeit inaccurately while ignoring the other, highlights the atmosphere of discrimination faced by Palestinian, Arab and Muslim students, faculty, staff and community members. Combined with increased policing and harassment of students, faculty and staff, this toxic environment poses a threat to all indigenous communities, communities of color and other marginalized communities engaged in social justice struggles at the university.
This offensive list of religious holidays is not an isolated incident. It comes amid ongoing incidents of racism and Islamophobia at SFSU, including the refusal to take action on the posting of racist materials around campus attacking the General Union of Palestinian Students, other student organizations and faculty members, including Prof. Rabab Abdulhadi; the refusal to respond to racist attacks on the AMED Studies program; the refusal to fund the AMED Studies program; and a number of other major incidents that reflect institutional racism, white supremacy and Islamophobia. In this highly alarming context, the administration’s excuse of having simply borrowed this discriminatory list of holidays from another university rings particularly hollow. As a university that presents itself as a social justice-oriented institution, SFSU should be especially attentive to the needs of the communities it serves.
We demand the following:
1. An immediate, substantive, unequivocal and meaningful apology from the university and a retraction of the circulated document.
2. A full, transparent and open investigation into the circumstances surrounding the creation and distribution of the “religious holidays” document and other incidents of racism and discrimination on campus. This investigation must be independent of the university administration. It must include, but not be limited to, the release of public records related to the drafting of this document and the process involved in its approval and distribution.
3. Comprehensive training on civil rights and discrimination for all SFSU management and administration. The trainers must be jointly selected by the affected communities and must exclude any organizations involved in racist and Islamophobic attacks on targeted communities at SFSU or elsewhere.
4. Reinstate the AMED program’s faculty lines and hire additional tenure track faculty to allow the program to become independent, stable and viable university-wide institute. Further provide appropriate administrative staff and operating budget and respect the program’s right to self-determination. This is an important structural remedy to educate the campus as a whole on issues related to Arab, Muslim and Palestinian communities in coordination with other indigenous communities, communities of color and marginalized communities, including our Jewish sisters and brothers who are equally insulted by the continued attempt of Israel apologists to claim that Israel and Zionism speak for all Jews and own Jewishness.
5. End the SFSU police state that is turning a campus with a history of social justice struggle into a business-oriented model that is unsuitable for a public academic institution and is harmful to students, faculty and staff.
Saturday, Feb 23 1:00pm 40 Wall Street (in front of the Trump building)
Join us Saturday, #23Feb at the Trump building on Wall Street to defend Venezuela! We’ll march on Wall Street to expose the force behind the coup in Venezuela: the U.S. ruling class!
Over 120 organizations and 2000 individuals have signed on to build Globally Coordinated Actions on Saturday #23Feb in defense of Venezuela against U.S. imperialist aggression and the coup of U.S. puppet Juan Guaidó.
See the call at NoWarOnVenezuela.org to add your name or organization as an endorser.
The call has now been translated in 16 languages!
#23Feb actions have been called across the country and across the globe, and more continued to be called. Full list here: nowaronvenezuela.org/23feb —————————————————————
No a la guerra de EE.UU. contra Venezuela! Protesta en Wall Street
Sábado 23 de febrero 1:00 40 Wall Street (frente al edificio Trump)
¡Únase con nosotros el sábado 23 de febrero en el edificio Trump en Wall Street para defender a Venezuela! Marcharemos hacia Wall Street para exponer el poder detrás del golpe de estado en Venezuela: ¡la clase dominante de los Estados Unidos!
Más de 120 organizaciones y 2000 individuos se han unido para preparar acciones coordinadas internacionales el sábado 23 de febrero en defensa de Venezuela contra la agresión imperialista de los EE. UU. y el golpe de estado de la marioneta de los EE. UU. Juan Guaidó.
Consulte la llamada a acción en nowaronvenezuela.org para agregar su nombre u organización como patrocinador. ————————————————————— Endorsing Organizations (Partial list in formation):
International Action Center ? Alberto Lovera Bolivarian Circle New York ? Alliance for Global Justice ? ANTICONQUISTA ? BAYAN USA ? Black Alliance for Peace ? December 12th Movement ? Fight for Im/migrants and Refugees Everywhere (FIRE) ? Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) ? Haïti Liberté ? IFCO/Pastors for Peace ? La Peña del Bronx ? Mobilization Against War and Occupation – MAWO (Canada) ? MOVE Organization ? People’s Organization for Progress (POP) ? Popular Resistance ? The ProLibertad Freedom Campaign ? Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network ? United National Antiwar Coalition (UNAC) ? USW Local 8751 Boston School Bus Drivers Union ? U.S. Peace Council ? Veterans For Peace
All-African People’s Revolutionary Party (GC) • American Party of Labor • ANSWER • Anti-Racist Action-L.A. • Anti-War Committee • Baltimore Peace Action • BOROTBA • Black Men’s Movement • Black Workers for Justice • Boston May Day Coalition • Brainerd Area Coalition for Peace (BACP) • Calgary Anti-Racist Action • Canadian Peace Council • Canadian Voice of Women for Peace • Casa de Las Américas NY • Central America Solidarity Coalition of Racine and Kenosha • Central Jersey Coalition Against Endless War • Charlotte Revolutionary Collective • Chicago ALBA Solidarity • Chicago Committee Against Militarism • Coalición Fortaleza Latina Pennsylvania • Coalition for Justice • Collettivo La Classe (Italy) • Committees of Correspondence for Democracy and Socialism • Communist Party of the DPR • Communiste Reconstruction Canada (Quebec) • Cuba and the Bolivarian Alliance Issues Committee of Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) • Dare to Dream • Ecumenical Peace Institute • Fire This Time Movement for Social Justice – Venezuela Solidarity Campaign (Canada) • Frente Antiimperialista Internacionalista (Madrid) • Fronte Popolare (Italy) • Galway Alliance Against War • Greater Boston Chapter of the Green-Rainbow Party of Massachusetts • Hilton Head for Peace • Houston Friends of Venezuela • International Committee for Peace, Justice and Dignity • International Association Against Torture • International Support Haiti Network • La Città Futura (Italian communist newspaper) • Labor Community Alliance of South Florida • Labor Fightback Network • Labor Today/Labor United for Class Struggle • Legacy of Equality, Leadership, and Organizing (LELO) • Malu Arts Project, Inc. • Maryland-Cuba Friendship Coalition • Millennials Are Killing Capitalism • Ministry of Peace (UK) • Minnesota Peace Action Coalition • Monterey Peace and Justice Center • Movimiento Comunitario Alfa y Omega • National Jericho Movement • New Abolitionist Movement • New Jersey Peace Council • New York Boricua Resistance • New York-New Jersey July 26 Coalition • Nicaragua Center for Community Action • Nuevo Perú • No War Roma – Lista No NATO (Italy) • North American Climate, Conservation and Environment • NYC Shut It Down • Ohana Ho`opakele • Pakistan USA Freedom Forum • Palestine Prisoners Society • Peace Action of San Mateo County • Peace Action of Staten Island • Peoples Power Assemblies NYC • CPhilly-Camden Boricua Committee • Poor People’s Economic Human Rights Campaign • Popular Front (France) • Potere al Popolo (Italy) • Portland Central America Solidarity Committee (PCASC) • POWIR • Public Awareness Education Programs – Sciences and Humanities • Puerto Rican Independence Party • Punks for Progress • Racine Coalition for Peace and Justice • Refuge Ministries of Tampa Bay International • Right 2 Survive • SI Solidarity Iran • Socialist Labour Party (UK) • Socialist Action • Socialist Party of Bangladesh • Socialist Unity Centre of India (Communist) • St. Paul Yoga Center • St. Pete for Peace • Swedish Professors & Doctors for Human Rights (SWEDHR)• Tempi Post Moderni (Italy) • Tlaxcala Network • TLtC The Least of These Church – Justice & Peace Committee • Union County (NJ) Peace Council • U.S. Friends of the Soviet People • U.S. Women and Cuba Collaboration • Unione Sindacale di Base (Italy) • Tufts Labor Coalition • United for Justice – Iran • URSAL – União das Republicas Socialistas da América Latina • Vancouver Communities in Solidarity with Cuba – VCSC (Canada) • Venezuela Ireland Network • Veterans For Peace – Chapter 71 • Veterans For Peace – Chapter 021 (Northern New Jersey) • Victoria Friends of Cuba • Virginia Defenders for Freedom, Justice, & Equality • Women In Time Change History • Women Against Military Madness • Workers World Party • Yes for Cuba Solidarity New York • Youth Fighting US Empire
Partial List of Individual signers:
Susan Abulhawa, author
Pam Africa, International Concerned Family and Friends of Mumia Abu-Jamal
Ajamu Baraka, National Organizer – Black Alliance for Peace
Fr. Luis Barrios, Holyrood Church/Iglesia Santa Cruz, NYC
Mike Bento, NYC Shut It Down
Max Blumenthal, journalist
Alison Bodine, Mobilization Against War and Occupation-MAWO (Canada)
William Camacaro, Alberto Lovera Bolivarian Circle New York
Joe Catron, Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network
Edward Childs, UNITE-HERE Local 26
George Ciccariello-Maher, The Hemispheric Institute
Dan Cohen, Journalist
Gerry Condon, President, Board of Directors, Veterans For Peace
Jodi Dean, Professor
Miguel Figueroa, Canadian Peace Congress, Toronto, ON, Canada
Taryn Fivek, International Action Center
Sara Flounders, International Action Center
Margaret Flowers, Coordinator of Popular Resistance
Ramiro Funez, ANTICONQUISTA, Los Angeles CA
George Galloway, British Politician; Stop the War Coalition (UK)
Teresa Gutierrez, Fight for Im/migrants and Refugees Everywhere (FIRE)
Lawrence Hamm, Chair of Peoples Organization for Progress (POP)
Chris Hedges, Writer
Rémy Herrera, Writer, Paris
Foad Izadi, Assistant professor, Department of American Studies, University of Tehran
Chuck Kaufman, Alliance for Global Justice
Rev. Tong-Kyun Kim, The Least of These Church (Progressive Korean Church)
Margaret Kimberley, Senior Editor – Black Agenda Report; Black Alliance for Peace
Stevan Kirschbaum, Vice President, United Steelworkers, Local 8751, Boston School Bus Union
Daniel Kovalik, Journalist
Judith Cashin Lerma, RNC MSN CCM with National Nurses United/National Nurses Organizing Committee
Dakotah Lilly, Co-founder, Students and Youth for a New America
Joe Lombardo, United National Antiwar Coalition (UNAC)
Alfred L. Marder, President, US Peace Council; Vice President, World Peace Council
Cynthia McKinney, Former U.S. congressperson and Green Party presidential candidate
Monica Moorehead, Workers World Party 2016 presidential candidate
Ben Norton, Journalist
Miko Peled, Author
Minnie Bruce Pratt, UAW/National Writers Union Local 1981
Sami Ramadani, Stop the War Coalition (UK)
Cindy Sheehan, Executive Boardmember, March on the Pentagon
Roger Waters, Musician
John Wight, Journalist
Kevin Zeese, Coordinator ofPopular Resistance, Baltimore —————————————————————
We cannot be silent in the face of the latest U.S. aggression against the Venezuelan people. Nicolás Maduro is the president of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, chosen twice by the people as part of an internationally observed electoral process. Since the 1998 election of Hugo Chávez, the United States has been relentless in its pursuit of regime change in Venezuela. With Donald Trump in the White House, these efforts have escalated to threats of all-out military violence, the plundering of billions of dollars in wealth from the Venezuelan people and pushing a multitude of outrageous lies in the global media.
For hundreds of years, the U.S. has waged war against the people of the world through coups, invasions and economic warfare. Juan Guaidó is a U.S. puppet. He is not a representative of the Venezuelan masses. The idea that a person can swear themselves in as president at a rally in the interest of “defending democracy” is laughable. The right wing in Venezuela claim the Bolivarian elections are rigged because they refuse to participate in them. Instead they engage in voter intimidation using violence reminiscent of Jim Crow terrorism against African-Americans in the Deep U.S. South.
U.S.-led sanctions and currency manipulation are responsible for the suffering in Venezuela. Marco Rubio and right-wing media guide the Venezuelan opposition from Miami. The U.S. cannot stand for any country on the planet to enjoy its natural wealth or the fruits of its labor independent of Wall Street and the Pentagon. Venezuela has the largest proven oil reserves in the world and is rich in gold and other mineral wealth. Iraq war architect John Bolton said that regime change in Venezuela would be a tremendous opportunity to gain more profits for Wall Street. We believe him.
Since the Bolivarian Revolution in 1998, massive strides have been taken to uplift the working class, Afro-Venezuelans and Indigenous populations in Venezuela. The working poor have made tremendous gains because the government implemented policies and passed laws to fight racism, sexism, homophobia and economic inequality. Despite sanctions and sabotage, Venezuela has maintained a transparent and democratic system through many elections. Venezuela provides aid to struggling people worldwide through subsidized fuel and by leading the way with progressive labor laws. Their gains are part of the global struggle waged by workers and the oppressed against the wealthiest and most powerful capitalists on the planet.
Therefore, we demand:
The U.S. immediately cease all hostile actions against the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela — lift all sanctions, stop backing a coup, cease efforts to destroy the Venezuelan economy and respect the right of the Venezuelan people to self-determination. All countries involved in the plunder of Venezuelan wealth immediately return what they have stolen to the democratically elected government of Venezuela and its people.Wall Street must immediately pay reparations to the Venezuelan people for their suffering under genocidal sanctions and currency manipulation.
In the internationalist and liberatory spirit of Simón Bolívar, we pledge to mobilize and fight on the side of Venezuela’s right to sovereignty, understanding that the gains won under the Bolivarian Revolution are gains for all the world’s workers and oppressed.
Sign on to the statement and get involved to demand: U.S. hands off Venezuela! —————————————————————
¡No a la guerra de EE.UU. contra Venezuela!
No podemos permanecer calladas/os ante la última agresión de Estados Unidos contra el pueblo venezolano. Nicolás Maduro es el presidente de la República Bolivariana de Venezuela, elegido dos veces por el pueblo como parte de un proceso electoral observado internacionalmente. Desde la elección de Hugo Chávez en 1998, Estados Unidos ha sido implacable en su afán de cambiar el régimen en Venezuela. Con Donald Trump en la Casa Blanca, estos esfuerzos se han intensificado con amenazas de violencia militar a gran escala, el saqueo de miles de millones de dólares en riqueza del pueblo venezolano e impulsando múltiples mentiras escandalosas en los medios globales de comunicación.
Durante cientos de años, los Estados Unidos han librado una guerra contra los pueblos del mundo a través de golpes de estado, invasiones y guerras económicas. Juan Guaidó es un títere de los Estados Unidos. No representa las masas venezolanas. La idea de que una persona puede auto juramentarse como presidente en un mitin en interés de “defender la democracia”, es risible. La derecha en Venezuela afirma que las elecciones bolivarianas están amañadas porque se niegan a participar en ellas. En su lugar, se dedican a la intimidación de votantes mediante el empleo de la violencia con reminiscencias del terrorismo Jim Crow contra las/os afroamericanos en el sur profundo de los Estados Unidos
La manipulación de la moneda y las sanciones lideradas por los Estados Unidos son las responsables del sufrimiento en Venezuela. Marco Rubio y los medios de comunicación de la derecha guían a la oposición venezolana desde Miami. Estados Unidos no puede tolerar que ningún país del planeta pueda disfrutar de su riqueza natural o del fruto de su esfuerzo laboral independiente de Wall Street y el Pentágono. Está comprobado que Venezuela tiene las reservas de petróleo más grandes del mundo y es rica en oro y otros minerales valiosos. El arquitecto de la guerra de Irak, John Bolton, dijo que el cambio de régimen en Venezuela sería una gran oportunidad para obtener más ganancias para Wall Street. Y sabemos que es cierto.
Desde la Revolución Bolivariana en 1998, se han dado pasos agigantados para elevar la clase trabajadora, las/os afrovenezolanos y las poblaciones indígenas en Venezuela. Los trabajadores pobres han logrado enormes avances porque el gobierno implementó políticas y promulgó leyes para combatir el racismo, el sexismo, la homofobia y la desigualdad económica. A pesar de las sanciones y el sabotaje, Venezuela ha mantenido un sistema transparente y democrático a través de muchas elecciones. Venezuela brinda ayuda a personas con dificultades en todo el mundo a través de combustible subsidiado y liderando el camino con leyes laborales progresistas. Sus logros son parte de la lucha global emprendida por los trabajadores y los oprimidos contra los capitalistas más ricos y poderosos del planeta.
Por lo tanto, exigimos que:
Estados Unidos cese de inmediato todas las acciones hostiles contra la República Bolivariana de Venezuela: levante todas las sanciones, deje de respaldar un golpe de estado, cese los esfuerzos para destruir la economía venezolana y respete el derecho del pueblo venezolano a la libre determinación. Todos los países involucrados en el saqueo de la riqueza venezolana devuelvan inmediatamente lo que han robado al gobierno elegido democráticamente de Venezuela y a su pueblo. Wall Street pague reparaciones inmediatamente al pueblo venezolano por su sufrimiento bajo las sanciones genocidas y la manipulación de la moneda. En el espíritu internacionalista y liberador de Simón Bolívar, nos comprometemos a movilizarnos y luchar por el derecho a la soberanía de Venezuela, entendiendo que los logros y beneficios obtenidos durante la Revolución Bolivariana son ganancias para todas/os los trabajadores y oprimidos del mundo.
Our meeting is organized as part of an international solidarity campaign for the release of Khalida Jarrar and all Palestinian prisoners. Join and be part of the international campaign! Can’t attend our solidarity evening? Organize your own meetings and actions, write to local and international officials, send greetings to Palestinian prisoners or simply share information or a picture of you and a sign with Khalida Jarrar’s name in social media. And of course: Join the international movement to boycott Israel. All contributions matter, and everyone can participate in the solidarity movement with the Palestinian liberation struggle!
Den 2:e juli 2017 häktades Khalida Jarrar av den israeliska ockupationsmakten och har genom flera godtyckligt förnyade domar hållits i administrativt förvar sedan dess. Jarrars senaste dom på ytterligare 6 månader beräknas ta slut vid månadsskiftet februari-mars, men de israeliska fångmyndigheternas agerande återstår att se. Innan hennes nuvarande fångenskap har Jarrar tidigare bland annat fått ta emot hot mot sig själv och sin familj om tvångsförflyttning från deras hem och varit fängslad en omgång mellan april 2015 och juni 2016.
Khalida Jarrar är en långtida deltagare i den palestinska befrielsekampen. Senast innan sin häktning den 2:e juni 2017 var Jarrar gruppledare i Palestinska lagstiftande rådet (PLC) för Folkfronten för Palestinas befrielse (PFLP) och även representant för Palestina i Europarådet. Sedan fängsling av sin kamrat Ahmad Sa’adat, generalsekreterare, innehar Khalida Jarrar även den ledande politiska rollen i organisationen. Bland hennes politiska arbete finns bland annat ett stort engagemang för palestinska fångars och kvinnors rättigheter och befrielse, som uttryckt sig bland annat genom en ledande roll i fångsolidaritetsorganisationen Addameer och PLC:s fångkommitté. Innanför förvarets murar bedriver hon ett aktivt arbete för att utbilda sina kvinnliga medfångar om deras rättigheter och möjligheter och för att organisera sig i motstånd mot de israeliska fångmyndigheternas övervakning och repression. Jarrar var dessutom drivande i processen för det palestinska medlemskapet i Internationella brottmålsdomstolen som instiftades 2015.
Vårt möte arrangeras som en del av en internationell solidaritetskampanj för Khalida Jarrars och alla palestinska fångars frigivning. Delta och var en del av den internationella kampanjen du med! Kan du inte delta på vår solidaritetskväll? Anordna egna möten och aktioner, skriv till lokala och internationella makthavare, skicka hälsningar till palestinska fångar eller bara dela information eller en bild på dig och en skylt med Khalida Jarrars namn i sociala medier. Och självfallet: Anslut dig till den internationella rörelsen för bojkott av Israel. Alla bidrag räknas, och alla kan delta i solidaritetsrörelsen för den palestinska befrielsekampen!
Datum: Onsdag 20:e februari Tid: 17:30 Plats: Andra långgatan 20, Vänsterpartiet Göteborgs lokal Greta
Samidoun is a strong supporter of the following statement and all actions around the world to stand with the people of Venezuela against U.S. imperialism. Please sign on and join in the actions in your area!
We cannot be silent in the face of the latest U.S. aggression against the Venezuelan people. Nicolás Maduro is the president of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, chosen twice by the people as part of an internationally observed electoral process. Since the 1998 election of Hugo Chávez, the United States has been relentless in its pursuit of regime change in Venezuela. With Donald Trump in the White House, these efforts have escalated to threats of all-out military violence, the plundering of billions of dollars in wealth from the Venezuelan people and pushing a multitude of outrageous lies in the global media.
For hundreds of years, the U.S. has waged war against the people of the world through coups, invasions and economic warfare. Juan Guaidó is a U.S. puppet. He is not a representative of the Venezuelan masses. The idea that a person can swear themselves in as president at a rally in the interest of “defending democracy” is laughable. The right wing in Venezuela claim the Bolivarian elections are rigged because they refuse to participate in them. Instead they engage in voter intimidation using violence reminiscent of Jim Crow terrorism against African-Americans in the Deep U.S. South.
U.S.-led sanctions and currency manipulation are responsible for the suffering in Venezuela. Marco Rubio and right-wing media guide the Venezuelan opposition from Miami. The U.S. cannot stand for any country on the planet to enjoy its natural wealth or the fruits of its labor independent of Wall Street and the Pentagon. Venezuela has the largest proven oil reserves in the world and is rich in gold and other mineral wealth. Iraq war architect John Bolton said that regime change in Venezuela would be a tremendous opportunity to gain more profits for Wall Street. We believe him.
Since the Bolivarian Revolution in 1998, massive strides have been taken to uplift the working class, Afro-Venezuelans and Indigenous populations in Venezuela. The working poor have made tremendous gains because the government implemented policies and passed laws to fight racism, sexism, homophobia and economic inequality. Despite sanctions and sabotage, Venezuela has maintained a transparent and democratic system through many elections. Venezuela provides aid to struggling people worldwide through subsidized fuel and by leading the way with progressive labor laws. Their gains are part of the global struggle waged by workers and the oppressed against the wealthiest and most powerful capitalists on the planet.
Therefore, we demand:
The U.S. immediately cease all hostile actions against the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela — lift all sanctions, stop backing a coup, cease efforts to destroy the Venezuelan economy and respect the right of the Venezuelan people to self-determination.
All countries involved in the plunder of Venezuelan wealth immediately return what they have stolen to the democratically elected government of Venezuela and its people.
Wall Street must immediately pay reparations to the Venezuelan people for their suffering under genocidal sanctions and currency manipulation.
In the internationalist and liberatory spirit of Simón Bolívar, we pledge to mobilize and fight on the side of Venezuela’s right to sovereignty, understanding that the gains won under the Bolivarian Revolution are gains for all the world’s workers and oppressed.
International Action Center ◘ Alberto Lovera Bolivarian Circle New York ◘ Alliance for Global Justice ◘ ANTICONQUISTA ◘ BAYAN ◘ Black Alliance for Peace ◘ December 12th Movement ◘ Fight for Im/migrants and Refugees Everywhere (FIRE) ◘ Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) ◘ Haïti Liberté ◘ IFCO/Pastors for Peace ◘ International League of Peoples Struggle (ILPS) ◘ La Peña del Bronx ◘ Malcolm X Grassroots Movement ◘ Mobilization Against War and Occupation – MAWO (Canada) ◘ MOVE Organization ◘ People’s Organization for Progress (POP) ◘ Popular Resistance ◘ The ProLibertad Freedom Campaign ◘ Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network ◘ United National Antiwar Coalition (UNAC) ◘ USW Local 8751 Boston School Bus Drivers Union ◘ U.S. Peace Council ◘ Veterans For Peace
All-African People’s Revolutionary Party (GC) • American Party of Labor • ANSWER • Anti-Racist Action-L.A. • Anti-War Committee • Baltimore Peace Action • BOROTBA • Black Men’s Movement • Black Workers for Justice • Boston May Day Coalition • Brainerd Area Coalition for Peace (BACP) • Buffalo Democratic Socialists of America • Calgary Anti-Racist Action • Canadian Peace Council • Canadian Voice of Women for Peace • Casa de Las Américas NY • Central America Solidarity Coalition of Racine and Kenosha • Central Jersey Coalition Against Endless War • Charlotte Revolutionary Collective • Chicago ALBA Solidarity • Chicago Committee Against Militarism • Coalición Fortaleza Latina Pennsylvania • Coalition for Justice • Collettivo La Classe (Italy) • Comite “Todos somos Venezuela” – Greece • Committees of Correspondence for Democracy and Socialism • Communist Party of the DPR • Communiste Reconstruction Canada (Quebec) • Cuba and the Bolivarian Alliance Issues Committee of Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) • Dare to Dream • Ecumenical Peace Institute • Fire This Time Movement for Social Justice – Venezuela Solidarity Campaign (Canada) • Freedom Socialist Party • Frente Antiimperialista Internacionalista (Madrid) • Fronte Popolare (Italy) • Galway Alliance Against War • Greater Boston Chapter of the Green-Rainbow Party of Massachusetts • Hilton Head for Peace • Houston Friends of Venezuela • International Committee for Peace, Justice and Dignity • International Association Against Torture • International Support Haiti Network • La Città Futura (Italian communist newspaper) • Labor Community Alliance of South Florida • Labor Fightback Network • Labor Today/Labor United for Class Struggle • Legacy of Equality, Leadership, and Organizing (LELO) • Malu Arts Project, Inc. • Maryland-Cuba Friendship Coalition • Millennials Are Killing Capitalism • Ministry of Peace (UK) • Minnesota Peace Action Coalition • Monterey Peace and Justice Center • Movement 4 Peoples’ Democracy • Movimiento Comunitario Alfa y Omega • National Jericho Movement • New Abolitionist Movement • New Jersey Peace Council • New York Boricua Resistance • New York-New Jersey July 26 Coalition • Nicaragua Center for Community Action • Nuevo Perú • No War Roma – Lista No NATO (Italy) • North American Climate, Conservation and Environment • NYC Shut It Down • Ohana Ho`opakele • Pakistan USA Freedom Forum • Palestine Prisoners Society • Party of Communists USA • Peace Action of San Mateo County • Peace Action of Staten Island • Peace and Neutrality Alliance • Peoples Power Assemblies NYC • Philly-Camden Boricua Committee • Poor People’s Economic Human Rights Campaign • Popular Front (France) • Potere al Popolo (Italy) • Portland Central America Solidarity Committee (PCASC) • POWIR • Public Awareness Education Programs – Sciences and Humanities • Puerto Rican Independence Party • Punks for Progress • Racine Coalition for Peace and Justice • Red de intelectuales y Artistas en Defensa de la Humanidad • Refuge Ministries of Tampa Bay International • Revolutionary Communist Group (England) • Right 2 Survive • SI Solidarity Iran • Socialist Labour Party (UK) • Socialist Action • Socialist Party of Bangladesh • Socialist Unity Centre of India (Communist) • St. Paul Yoga Center • St. Pete for Peace • Swedish Professors & Doctors for Human Rights (SWEDHR)• Tempi Post Moderni (Italy) • Tlaxcala Network • TLtC The Least of These Church – Justice & Peace Committee • Union County (NJ) Peace Council • U.S. Friends of the Soviet People • U.S. Women and Cuba Collaboration • Unione Sindacale di Base (Italy) • Tufts Labor Coalition • United for Justice – Iran • URSAL – União das Republicas Socialistas da América Latina • Vancouver Communities in Solidarity with Cuba – VCSC (Canada) • Venezuela Ireland Network • Veterans For Peace – Chapter 71 • Veterans For Peace – Chapter 021 (Northern New Jersey) • Veterans For Peace – Chicago • Veterans For Peace – Humboldt Bay Chapter 56 • Victoria Friends of Cuba • Virginia Defenders for Freedom, Justice, & Equality • Women In Time Change History • Women Against Military Madness • Workers World Party • Yes for Cuba Solidarity New York • Youth Fighting US Empire • Young Socialists League (Kenya)
Partial List of Individual signers
• For a full list of more than 2000 names in alphabetical order see the signers page •
Susan Abulhawa, author
Pam Africa, International Concerned Family and Friends of Mumia Abu-Jamal
Hands off Venezuela! Saturday, February 23 | 12 noon Rally at the Federal Building | Liberty Street and Fifth Avenue Organized by: Ann Arbor Coalition Against the War | Contact: 734-662-6036
Albany, NY
Hands off Venezuela! Saturday, February 23 | Noon Wolf Rd and Central Ave Contact: 518-281-1968
Atlanta, GA
Monday, Feb. 18, 6-8pm, Special WRFG 89.3FM program :US Hands off Venezuela! Local and national anti-war and social justice activists provide facts and analysis exposing the 20 year campaign by the US to overturn the Bolivarian Revolution with its radical program to end poverty and empower the mass of people. Also streamed at wrfg.org and on mobile apps. Wednesday, Feb. 20, 4-5pm. Join Georgia Peace and Justice Coalition’s weekly vigil at Moreland and Ponce de Leon to oppose all US actions to bring about a coup against the elected president, Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela.. Friday, Feb. 22, noon-1pm, Colony Square Peace vigil at Peachtree and 15th St. No War on Venezuela! Saturday, Feb. 23, 1-3:30pm Stand with Venezuela’s Bolivarian Revolution! Town Hall Meeting, The Arts Exchange, 2148 Newnan St., East Point 30344. Videos, speakers, discussion. For more information, atlantawwp@gmail.com or atlantaiac@aol.com Saturday, Feb. 23, 5-7pm, Tune in to WRFG’s “Beyond Borders program for reports of No War on Venezuela actions around the US and the world. 89.3FM, wrfg.org
Austin, TX
Hands off Venezuela Rally Saturday, February 23 | 12pm Texas State Capitol Organized by: Austin Anti-War Coalition
Baltimore, MD
No Coup, No Sanctions, No War on Venezuela Saturday, February 23 | 4pm 33rd and N Charles Street Sponsored by a host of groups and open to any and all who support our demands of no coup, no sanctions, no war on Venezuela. Initial sponsors include: Baltimore Peace Action; Baltimore Non-Violence Center; Baltimore Solidarity with Venezuela; Communist Party of Maryland; Peoples Power Assembly; Struggle for Socialism/La Lucha por Socialismo; Ujima Peoples Progress Party; Youth Against War & Racism (partial list)
Bengaluru, India
No War on Venezuela! Saturday, February 23 | Details TBA Organized by: Socialist Unity Center of India (C)
Boston, MA
No War on Venezuela! Saturday, February 23 | 1pm Gather at MBTA Park Street Stop
Brainerd, MN
No War on Venezuela! Saturday, February 16 | 1pm Sixth and Washington Streets (near Sawmill Inn) Organized by: Brainerd Area Coalition for Peace
No War on Venezuela! Saturday, February 23 | Details TBA Organized by: Socialist Unity Center of India (C)
Chicago, IL
No War No Coup Against Venezuela Friday, February 22 | 4:30pm ABC News Studio | 190 N State Sponsored by Evanston Neighbors for Peace, Chicago ALBA Solidarity, Chicago Area Peace Action, Chicago Committee Against War and Racism, Vets for Peace- Chicago, others
No War On Venezuela! Saturday, February 23 | 5pm Benton County Courthouse, 120 NW 4th Street Organized by: Corvallis Latin America Solidarity Committee and the Corvallis chapter of the Committees of Correspondence for Democracy and Socialism
Delhi, India
No War on Venezuela! Saturday, February 23 | Details TBA Organized by: Socialist Unity Center of India (C)
Dublin, Ireland
Venezuela Global Day of Action Saturday, February 23 | 1pm U.S. Embassy | Ballsbridge, Dublin 4 Organized by: Venezuela Ireland Network, Peace and Neutrality Alliance (PANA)
Dhaka, Bangladesh
USA Hands off Venezuela Saturday, February 23 | Details TBA Organized by: Socialist Party of Bangladesh
East Setauket, Long Island, NY
Hands off Venezuela! Saturday, February 23 | 11am Rt. 25A and Bennetts Rd., East Setauket, Long Island, NY 11733 Solidarity action to take place during the regular anti-war Saturday vigil organized by the North Country Peace Group at the corner of Rt. 25A & Bennetts Road, E. Setauket, NY (south side of street). Vigil will take place 11 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. Bring signs. Please avoid parking in CVS lot and use other nearby parking on Rt. 25A and across the street on North Country Road. Organized by: North Country Peace Group, contact: ncpeaceg@gmail.com
Fayetteville, NC
No War on Venezuela! March on Ft. Bragg Saturday, February 23 | 2 – 5pm Join anti-imperialist and progressive forces at Fort Bragg, the largest military base in the world, to demand Hands off Venezuela!
Geneva, Switzerland
Demonstration for Peace and Sovereignty Saturday, February 23 | 3pm Organized by: ALBA (Latin America Working Group Basel)
Glasgow, Scotland
No War on Venezuela! International Day of Action, Glasgow Saturday, February 23 | 1pm Glasgow Royal Concert Hall | Sauciehall Street Glasgow G2 3NY Scotland Hosted by Revolutionary Communist Group – Glasgow, Fight Racism!Fight Imperialism!, Hands off Venezuela, and Glasgow Marxists
Hanover, NH
No war on Venezuela! Saturday, February 23 | 2pm Gather at busy corner by Dartmouth College Green
Hartford, CT
No War on Venezuela! Saturday, February 23 | 12pm Federal Building | Main St Organized by: CT Peace and Solidarity Coalition
Houston, TX
No War on Venezuela! Saturday, February 23 | 2pm Mecom Fountain Traffic Circle (Main St and Montrose)
Hyderabad, India
No War on Venezuela! Saturday, February 23 | Details TBA Organized by: Socialist Unity Center of India (C)
Indianapolis, IN
No war on Venezuela! Saturday, February 23 | 4pm Indiana State Capitol | 200 W Washington St
Jersey City, NJ
No war on Venezuela! Saturday, February 23 | 11am – 2pm Manhattan Ave. & Central Ave. (across from the Stop&Shop supermarket) Organizations currently sponsoring: NJ Action 21, Jersey City Peace Movement, Veterans For Peace
Kolkata, India
US Imperialism Hands Off Venezuela Saturday, February 23 | Details TBA Organized by: Socialist Unity Center of India (C)
Liverpool, England
Hands off Venezuela! Saturday, February 23 | 12pm Derby Square | Liverpool L2, 9 England Co-hosted by Revolutionary Communist Group – Liverpool Fight Racism! Fight Imperialism!, Hands Off Venezuela, and Liverpool Marxist Society
Join the South Florida anti-war community as we demand: No U.S War on Venezuela! Stop the Coup! End the Sanctions! Self Determination for the Venezuelan people! In South Florida, we have a particular obligation to stand against US interference in Venezuela. Miami is home to US Southern Command in Doral, FL– the base for all US military operations in Latin America, particularly Venezuela at the moment. US SOUTHCOM is a nefarious entity whose track-record includes toppling governments throughout Central and South America and the Caribbean, propping up right-wing governments and dictators, arming death-squads throughout the hemisphere, and committing troops to countries within the region.
U.S. Hands off Venezuela No coup No sanctions No new U.S. war!
Saturday, February 23 | 1pm
1:00 pm – Gather at Hennepin & Lagoon Aves, Minneapolis
1:30 pm – Anti-war visibility at nearby busy corners.
2:00 pm Closing rally.
Initiated by Minnesota Peace Action Coalition Contact: antiwarnews@gmail.com | 612 827-5364 or 612 275-2720 or find on Facebook
Monterey, CA
Saturday, February 23 | 4 – 6pm Window on the Bay | Across from El Estero Park Raise Awareness on the Situation in Venezuela and Join Veterans For Peace Chapter 46 on February 23 Contact: Justin Loza, VFP 46 President | justin.loza@vfp46.com
Hands off Venezuela Special on WBAI Sunday, February 24 | 12 – 4pm Tune in: 99.5FM in NY, streaming at WBAI.org
Newark, NJ
No War on Venezuela! Details TBA For more info: 973-801-0001
Newcastle Upon Tyne, England
Hands off Venezuela! No Sanctions! No Coup! Saturday, February 23 | 12pm Grey’s Monument | Newcastle upon Tyne, England Hosted by Revolutionary Communist Group – Fight Racism! Fight Imperialism! North East, Hands Off Venezuela, and Newcastle Marxist Society
Oakland, CA
No war on Venezuela! Saturday, February 23 | 12pm Oscar Grant Plaza | 14th and Broadway Sponsored by: Spring Action Antiwar Coalition (Bay Area)
Ottawa, Canada
No war on Venezuela! Saturday, February 23 | 12pm Gather at the Prime Minister’s office for a march to the U.S. Embassy!
Saturday, February 23 | 3pm Sunnyside Community Center | 3520 SE Yamhill St
Quito, Ecuador
No war on Venezuela! Saturday, February 23 | Details TBA
Racine, WI
No war on Venezuela – Presentation on the history of US intervention in Latin America, and on Venezuela from 1998 to the present Saturday, February 23 | 11am John Bryant Community Center | 601 Racine St
No War on Venezuela! Saturday, March 16 | 11am – 1pm Monument Square
No War on Venezuela! Saturday, February 23 | 2pm City Hall, Peace Fountain
Richmond, CA
No War on Venezuela! Banner Display over I-80 freeway in Richmond, CA. Saturday, February 23 | 10am Gather at San Luis St. and Sacramento Ave., Richmond, CA 94804 Wear red! Organized by Hands off Venezuela Richmond, CA
On April 4, leaders of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization plan to gather in Washington, D.C., to celebrate NATO’s 70th anniversary. April 4 is the 51st anniversary of the assassination of the Prophet of Peace, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. In response, scores of peace and social justice organizations are planning a week of protest activities around the theme of “No to War, No to NATO, No to Racism!” including a mass march and rally on March 30 which the Virginia Defenders are helping to coordinate.
Meanwhile, Washington is orchestrating a coup against the pro-people government of Venezuela and is openly talking about how U.S. oil companies will benefit from overthrowing President Maduro and his socialist government.
While we fight for justice here at home, we need to also raise our voices about what both the Republicans and the Democrats are doing in our name in other countries. Please come out for a presentation about what NATO is, what it does, how it relates to the developing crises in Venezuela and Ukraine and how all this affects us here at home. Come with your interest, your questions and your desire for peace and justice, at home and abroad.
Rome, Italy
Saturday, February 23 | Details TBA Organized by: Fronte Popolare, La Città Futura, Collettivo Militant, Casa del Popolo Giuseppe Tanas (Roma), Patria Socialista, PCI, Italia-Venezuela Bolivariana
Santa Clara, CA
Hands Off Venezuela! No Coup In Venezuela! Venezuelan Oil For Venezuela! US Out of Venezuela! Maduro Democratically Elected! Saturday, February 23 | 12:30pm Gather at The Peace Corner | Stevens Creek Blvd and Winchester Blvd
Santa Monica, CA
Hands off Venezuela Saturday, February 23 | 3pm Santa Monica Pier | Meet at Colorado and Ocean Ave
Sydney, Australia
No US Coup/War in Venezuela! Lift the Sanctions Now! Saturday, February 23 | 1pm U.S. Consulate General Sydney | Martin Place (outside MLC Bldg), Sydney Centre Organized by: Australia Venezuela Solidarity Network
Toronto, Canada
No to U.S.-Led Intervention: A Community Forum Wednesday, February 20 | 6:30pm University of Toronto | 252 Bloor Street West An Emergency Community Forum: Join us for a public forum with representatives from the Caribbean, African and Latin American community organizations, discussing the deeply inconsistent, hypocritical and dangerous ways the Canadian government has historically approached matters of humanitarian intervention – and why this matters today when it comes to Venezuela.
Sponsoring groups: Global Afrikan Congress, Group for Research & Initiative for the Liberation of Africa (GRILA), Common Frontiers, Caribbean Solidarity Network, Students Against Israeli Apartheid, Latin American and Caribbean Solidarity Network – LACSN, Hugo Chavez Front, Justice 4 Migrant Workers, Jamhoor, Venezuela Solidarity Committee
The participants and endorsing organizations of the February 23rd “No War On Venezuela” rally in Toronto demand that the federal government immediately recognize the democratically elected president of Venezuela, lift the sanctions, and stop laying the groundwork for military intervention. CBC: stop the lies! Bay street: not your gold, not your oil, hands off Venezuelan soil!
Respect Venezuelan sovereignty and self-determination! Hands off Venezuela!
Tucson, AZ
Saturday, February 23 | 10a – 2pm Armory Park Organized by: Tucson Anti-War Committee
Turin, Italy
Saturday, February 23 | Details TBA Organized by: Fronte Popolare, Rete dei Comunisti and Potere al Popolo
Valleta, Malta
Saturday, February 23 | 4pm 28 Strait Street Organized by: ALBA MNAC and PKM
Vancouver, BC, Canada
No War on Venezuela! – International Day of ActionVancouver, Canada Rally & Petition Campaign No Coup in Venezuela!U.S./Canada Hands Off Venezuela!No more U.S./Canada Sanctions & Threats! Saturday February 23 | 2pmVancouver Art GalleryRobson St. at Howe St.Downtown Vancouver Organized by: Fire This Time Movement for Social Justice (FTT) – Venezuela Solidarity CampaignEndorsed by: Mobilization Against War and Occupation (MAWO), Vancouver Communities in Solidarity with Cuba (VCSC), Iranian Community Against War
Samidoun: Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network stands with Ilhan Omar, a strong supporter of Palestine elected to the United States House of Representatives last November, and urges a broad mobilization to defend her against media and political incitement by Israel and its allies.
Rep. Omar is one of only two endorsers of the Palestinian Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement in the 541-seat Congress. She is also an outspoken critic of Israel’s crimes against Palestinians and has joined demonstrations protesting them in her district around Minneapolis, Minnesota.
These strong positions, unheard of in Washington, D.C.’s halls of power until this year, as well as Rep. Omar’s identity as an immigrant, the first Somali-American, and one of the first two Muslim women elected to Congress, have drawn harsh reactions from Israel’s reactionary supporters, as well as the Israeli state itself.
While a ferocious offensive targeting her gained widespread attention over the past day and a half, the ongoing campaign of racial, religious and political harassment against Rep. Omar began long before her election.
The current firestorm erupted on Sunday evening, after she posted two tweets criticizing the pro-Israel lobby, particularly its flagship organization, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), and the influence it wields by bundling contributions to political candidates, primarily Rep. Omar’s colleagues.
Rep. Omar said nothing wrong. Her first tweet quoted a relevant line from a well-known song by hip hop artist Sean Combs, while her second repeated a truism understood by most observers of U.S. politics, especially on Capitol Hill. And as a vocal supporter of Palestine and its liberation movement, nothing else she could have done, short of adopting the Zionist politics of her opponents, would have averted their malice.
In the aftermath of her tweets, Rep. Omar faced a torrent of abuse on the Internet, including from a daughter of two notorious war criminals, who berated a former refugee from a country invaded by her father “as an American,” and an editor of a Zionist newspaper in New York, who sought to link her with the Ku Klux Klan.
More concerning were attacks on Rep. Omar from within Congress, including a pledge by Kevin McCarthy, the House Republican leader with a history of actual anti-Semitism on Twitter, to “take action this week,” and a demand by Steve Scalise, a disgraced Louisiana Representative who once spoke at a white supremacist convention organized by former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke and boasted to a journalist he was “like David Duke without the baggage,” that “Dem leaders remove her from the Foreign Affairs Committee.”
This vicious onslaught poses a crucial test for U.S. supporters of Palestine. As Zionism’s fortunes continue to dwindle, we must find strategies to turn growing public sympathy with Palestine into political gains for the Palestinian people. Taking action to support Rep. Omar in the face of a Zionist attempt to destroy her can open more possibilities for liberatory struggle in the heart of Israel’s key supporter.
CALL NANCY PELOSI, the Democratic speaker of the House, to demand she oppose the attacks on Rep. Omar: 202-225-4965 (Washington, D.C.), 415-556-4862 (San Francisco).
PROTEST AIPAC! Every year, supporters of Palestine descend on AIPAC’s annual policy conference in Washington, D.C. Plan now to join the mobilization on Saturday, March 24.
On 19 July, Mustapha Awad (who lives in Aalst) was arrested by Israel during a visit to Palestine. He was sentenced to 1 year in prison. There are serious reasons to fear that during his imprisonment he will be subjected to cruel and degrading treatment.
Bring light to Mustapha’s heart. Write him a letter! Your cards and letters will of course go through the Israeli censorship, but know that they are of great importance to Mustapha!
Op 19 juli werd Mustapha Awad (wonende te Aalst) tijdens een bezoek aan Palestina gearresteerd door Israël. Hij werd veroordeeld tot een gevangenisstraf van 1 jaar. Er zijn ernstige redenen om te vrezen dat hij tijdens zijn gevangenschap wordt onderworpen aan een wrede en mensonterende behandeling.
Steek Mustapha een hart onder de riem. Schrijf hem een brief! Jouw kaarten en brieven zullen natuurlijk door de Israëlische censuur gaan, maar weet dat ze voor Mustapha van grote betekenis zijn!
Join our demonstration against the finals of the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) on 14-18 May 2019 being held in the apartheid state of Israel!
In Malmo, the Swedish Melodifestivalen contest is held in Malmo Arena on 9 February at 19h30, with admission from around 18h155. We will stand outside the entrance with the banner “End the occupation of Palestine” and placards with the text “Melodifestival – yes, Apartheid – no; Move the Eurovision final; Solidarity with Palestine!” hand out flyers, give speeches and sing songs against apartheid.
Anna Wester, chair of the Palestinagrupperna i Sverige, writes:
“The initiative to boycott Eurovision in Israel was taken by a number of Palestinian organizations, and hundreds of artists around the world have endorsed the call. Thousands of activists have signed on to the call for boycott, and the international campaign is growing every day. Everyone who upholds democracy and human rights should support the Palestinian people in this. By pressuring the occupying power and standing in solidarity with the Palestinian people, we can contribute to a just peace. If the finals are moved from Israel, we look forward to seeing Sweden in the list, but no Swedish participation so long ass Israel is hosting!”
It is important that there are many participants in the demonstration if we are to be seen and heard by many concertgoers. Join us 9 February for Palestinian rights! Invite friends and acquaintances to participate in the protest and join our anti-apartheid song chorus.
We wll gather at the entrance to Hyllie train station towards Malmo Arena at 16h45.
Yes to Melodifestival in Sweden! No to Eurovision Final in Israel! No Swedish participation as long as Israel is hosting!
Välkommen till vår manifestation mot att finalen i Europeiska schlagerfestivalen (ESC) den 14–18 maj 2019 ska hållas i apartheidstaten Israel!
I Malmö hålls en deltävling i den svenska Melodifestivalen i Malmö Arena den 9 februari kl 19.30, med insläpp från kl. 18.15. Vi kommer att stå utanför entrén med banderollen “Häv ockupationen av Palestina” och plakat med texten “Melodifestival – ja, Apartheid – nej, Flytta Eurovisionsfinalen, Solidaritet med Palestina!”, dela ut flygblad, hålla tal och sjunga Sånger mot Apartheid.
Anna Wester, ordförande för Palestinagrupperna i Sverige, skriver:
“Initiativet att bojkotta Eurovision i Israel togs av en rad palestinska organisationer och hundratals artister fra°n hela va¨rlden har sta¨llt sig bakom uppmaningen. Tusentals aktivister har undertecknat uppropet om en bojkott och den internationella kampanjen va¨xer fo¨r varje dag. Alla som va¨rnar demokrati och ma¨nskliga ra¨ttigheter bo¨r sto¨dja palestinierna i detta. Genom press pa° ockupationsmakten och solidaritet med det palestinska folket kan vi bidra till en ra¨ttvis fred.
Om finalen flyttas fra°n Israel, sa° ser vi fram emot att se Sverige i startlistan. Men inget svenskt deltagande sa° la¨nge Israel a¨r va¨rd!”
Det är viktigt att vi blir många deltagare i manifestationen om vi ska höras och synas bland de många konsertbesökarna! Ställ upp den 9 februari för fred och för palestiniernas mänskliga rättigheter!
Uppmana vänner och bekanta att delta i manifestationen och att sjunga med i vår schlagerfestivalsångkör!
Vi samlas vid uppgången från Hyllie tågstation mot Malmö Arena (se bifogad bild) kl 16.45.
JA TILL MELODIFESTIVAL I SVERIGE! NEJ TILL EUROVISIONSFINAL I ISRAEL! INGET SVENSKT DELTAGANDE SÅ LÄNGE ISRAEL ÄR VÄRD!
Join the London Protest for the release of the Craigavon 2. Brendan McConville and John Paul Wootton were wrongly convicted of the killing of PC Carroll and have spent nearly 10 years in jail.
Another British frame-up On March 9th 2009 Constable Steven Carroll was fatally shot in Craigavon, County Armagh, Northern Ireland . On the 30th of March 2012 Brendan McConville and John Paul Wootton were convicted of the shooting and sentenced to life in prison.
At the trial no evidence of Brendan McConville or John-Paul Wootton’s direct involvement in the shooting was ever presented. It wasn’t presented because it doesn’t exist.
Instead the conviction was based on:
1.) The testimony of a witness who testified that on the heavily raining night of the shooting he saw McConville dressed in a green army jacket in the neighborhood of the shooting around the time of the shooting.
2.) DNA evidence from a jacket retrieved from Wootton’s car after the shooting that an expert testified had McConville’s DNA on it and traces of what possibly could be gunpowder.
3.) A GPS tracking device that had been placed in Wootton’s car sometime prior to the shooting which showed the car leaving a housing estate adjacent to the one where the shooting occurred ten minutes after the shooting & passing near McConville’s home on its way back to Wootton’s. The prosecution used this information to surmise that McConville was dropped off by Wootton before he made his own way home.
The problems with the conviction are as follows:
1.) The prosecution’s star witness, Witness M, gave the only testimony that placed either of the two men near the scene of the shooting. He testified that, on that very dark and rainy night, he saw McConville, from a distance of about 16 yards by an electricity box wearing a green knee length army coat with a German logo. The witness, however, was shown to be astigmatic & short shorted – conditions which would have made him unable to see what he said he saw.
In addition, his partner who was walking with him that night refused to corroborate his story.
Furthermore, he waited 11 months to come forward (by which time McConville’s name had been widely spread by the press), was shown to have repeatedly lied under oath and had contacted the police on a number of occasions while drunk or drinking, including the night of his original call. Also large extracts of his witness statement to the police were redacted. ` All of this is further compromised by the fact that the witness receives a weekly income from the PSNI and also receives an allowance for childcare. He has had loans and overseas holidays facilitated for his children and has received other financial benefits.
2.) When the AK47 that was used in the shooting was discovered, a partial fingerprint was found on the internal spring mechanism of the magazine. This fingerprint was checked against the fingerprints of McConville and Wootton. No matches were found. Also, according to the tracking device Wootton’s car never went near the housing estate where the rifle was found.
3.) The prosecution claimed a jacket found in Wootton’s car with McConville’s DNA & traces of what might be gunpowder, were further proof of the men’s involvement in the shooting. The jacket, however, was brown leather & waist length, not the green knee length army jacked with a German logo the witness had claimed to see. In addition, the jacket was completely dry, not very wet as it would have been if McConville had been wearing it during the shooting. In addition, when police searched both men’s homes they found no traces of the wet and/or muddy clothes they were specifically looking for.
4.) The only “evidence” tying John Paul Wootton to the killing is his car & the GPS tracking device that was placed on it sometime prior to the shooting. The tracking device showed Wootton’s car leaving a housing estate a quarter of a kilometer from the estate where the shooting took place about 10 minutes after the shooting occurred. It proceeded at a normal pace along one of the two available routes leading from where he was to his home. (Both routes pass close to McConville’s house.) According to the prosecution Wootton dropped off McConville and went home. However, at no time did the tracking device show the car’s doors being opened anywhere near McConville’s home. Even more worrying, data from the tracking device was mysteriously wiped while the device was in the hands of the army. No plausible explanation was ever given as to why this happened.
There is more. The fact that the men were denied the benefit of a trial by jury. Admitted deficiencies in witness testimony, state interference with new witnesses who were scheduled to testify at the appeal, etc.
