24 April, Athens: Palestinian Prisoners’ Struggle for Freedom and Liberation

20 April 2017

Monday, 24 April
7 pm
Athens University of Economics and Business
Athens, Greece
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/205442036623165/

2017 marks the 100th anniversary of the Balfour declaration and British colonization of Palestine. It marks the 70th anniversary of the Nakba, and the 50th anniversary of the occupation of the remaining parts of Palestine – the West Bank and Gaza Strip – and the Syrian Golan Heights. Today, there are 7 million Palestinian refugees denied their right to return home and millions more Palestinians living under occupation, apartheid, racism and settler colonialism, including 7,000 Palestinian political prisoners – struggling for liberation and justice.

Palestinian political prisoners are on the front lines of the Palestinian people’s struggle for national liberation, confronting racism and oppression each day inside Israeli jails as they struggle not only for their liberation from behind iron bars and barbed wire, but for the freedom of their land and people, Palestine, from the river to the sea.

Join us for a discussion of the struggle of Palestinian political prisoners, the Palestinian national liberation movement today and international complicity in the ongoing repression of the Palestinian people, from billions of dollars in US aid to Israel, to France’s jailing of Lebanese struggler for Palestine Georges Ibrahim Abdallah. Meanwhile, the Palestinian people – side by side with oppressed peoples around the world – continue to resist. They struggle against not only the Israeli state and its backing by major imperialist powers, but also the “security coordination” of the Palestinian Authority that continues to jail and suppress Palestinian resistance.

At the core of the Palestinian struggle is the right of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes and lands. Palestinians, like peoples around the world, have been forced to migrate and seek refuge around the world due to aggression, occupation, colonization, brutality and war. Today, Palestinian, Syrian and other people in migration continue to face further brutalization, criminalization and racism as they seek refuge from the ravages of imperialism, colonization and war. The struggle against racism is part and parcel of the struggle for liberation.

This event is part of the Palestinian and international commemoration of the 40th day after the assassination of Palestinian youth leader and struggler, Basil al-Araj, shot down in a torrent of Israeli bullets as he resisted until his last breath. We will honor Basil’s memory and his commitment to Palestinian freedom and revolution with our demands for liberation and return, for a liberated Palestine and the victory of 100 years of struggle.

With speakers:

Khaled Barakat
Palestinian leftist writer and the international coordinator of the Campaign to Free Ahmad Sa’adat

Charlotte Kates
International coordinator, Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network

Tarek Kishawi
Palestinian youth organizer in Greece

Giannis Rachiotis
Greek lawyer and left organizer

Το 2017 σηματοδοτεί την 100η επέτειο από την Διακήρυξη Balfour και την Βρετανική αποίκιση της Παλαιστίνης. Σηματοδοτεί την 70η επέτειο από την Νάκμπα και την 50η επέτειο από την κατάληψη των εναπομείναντα μερών της Παλαιστίνης -της Δυτικής Όχθης και της Λωρίδας της Γάζας – και τα Συριακά υψώματα του Γκολάν. Σήμερα υπάρχουν 7 εκατομμύρια Παλαιστίνιοι πρόσφυγες στους οποίους στερείται το δικαίωμα επιστροφής στην πατρίδα τους και εκατομμύρια ακόμη Παλαιστίνιοι που ζουν σε καθεστώς κατοχής, απαρτχάιντ, ρατσισμού και εποικισμού, συμπεριλαμβανομένου και 7.000 Παλαιστινίων πολιτικών κρατουμένων – που μάχονται για ελευθερία και δικαιοσύνη.

Οι Παλαιστίνιοι πολιτικοί κρατούμενοι βρίσκονται στην πρώτη γραμμή του αγώνα του Παλαιστινιακού λαού για εθνική απελευθέρωση, αντιμετώπισης του ρατσισμού και της καταπίεσης κάθε μέρα μέσα στις Ισραηλινές φυλακές καθώς μάχονται όχι μόνο για την δική τους απελευθέρωση από τα σίδερα της φυλακής και τα αγκαθωτά συρματοπλέγματα, αλλά και για την ελευθερία της γης και του λαού της, Παλαιστίνης, από τον ποταμό έως την θάλασσα.
Συμμετέχετε μαζί μας στην συζήτηση για τον αγώνα των Παλαιστινίων πολιτικών κρατουμένων, του Παλαιστινιακού εθνικού απελευθερωτικού κινήματος σήμερα και διεθνή εφησυχασμό στην συνεχιζόμενη καταπίεση του Παλαιστινιακού λαού, με τα εκατομμύρια δολαρίων της αμερικάνικης βοήθεια στο Ισραήλ μέχρι και την φυλάκιση από την Γαλλία του Τζορτζ Ιμπραχήμ Αμπντάλα, Λιβανέζου αγωνιστή για την Παλαιστίνη. Εντωμεταξύ ο Παλαιστινιακός λαός – δίπλα, δίπλα με τους καταπιεσμένους λαούς όλου του κόσμου- συνεχίζει να αντιστέκεται. Παλεύουν ενάντια όχι μόνο στο Ισραηλινό κράτος και μεγάλες ιμπεριαλιστικές δυνάμεις που το υποστηρίζουν αλλά επίσης ενάντια στο “συντονισμό ασφαλείας” της Παλαιστινιακής Αρχής που συνεχίζει να φυλακίζει και να καταπιέζει την Παλαιστινιακή αντίσταση.

Στον πυρήνα του Παλαιστινιακού αγώνα είναι τα δικαιώματα των Παλαιστινίων προσφύγων για επιστροφή στις οικείες τους και τα εδάφη τους. Οι Παλαιστίνιοι όπως άλλοι λαοί, έχουν υποχρεωθεί σε μετανάστευση και αναζήτηση ασύλου σε όλο τον κόσμο εξαιτίας της επιθετικότητας, της κατάληψης, αποίκησης, βιαιότητας και του πολέμου. Σήμερα, οι Παλαιστίνιοι, οι Σύριο και άλλοι λαοί που βρίσκονται σε μετανάστευση συνεχίζουν αν αντιμετωπίζουν περαιτέρω βιαιότητα, εγκληματικότητα και ρατσισμό καθώς αναζητούν άσυλο από την καταστροφικότατα του ιμπεριαλισμού, τον αποικισμό και τον πόλεμο. Ο αγώνας ενάντια στον ρατσισμό είναι αναπόσπαστο μέρος του αγώνα για την απελευθέρωση.

Το συμβάν αυτό είναι μέρος του Παλαιστινιακού και διεθνούς μνημόσυνου για την 40η ημέρα από την δολοφονία του ηγέτη της νεολαίας και αγωνιστή, Μπασίλ αλ Αράζ, που πυροβολήθηκε από ένα χείμαρρο Ισραηλινών πυρών, ενώ εκείνος αντιστεκόταν έως την τελευταία του πνοή. Όλοι μαζί θα τιμήσουμε την μνήμη του Μπάσιλ και την δέσμευση του στην Παλαιστινιακή ελευθερία και επανάσταση, με τις διεκδικήσεις μας για απελευθέρωση και επιστροφή μας, σε μία απελευθερωμένη Παλαιστίνη και την νίκη του εκατονταετούς αγώνα μας.

Ομιλητές:

Χάλαντ Μπαράκατ
Παλαιστίνιος, αριστερός συγγραφέας και διεθνής συντονιστής της καμπάνιας “Free Ahmad Sa’adat

Σαρλότ Κειτς
Διεθνής συντονίστρια, ” Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network

Ταρέκ Κισάουι
Οργάνωση Παλαιστινιακής νεολαίας Ελλάδας

Γιάννης Ραχιώτης
δικηγόρος

22 April, Toronto: Criminalizing Resistance – A Panel Discussion on Joint Struggle

20 April 2017

Saturday, 22 April
1:30 pm
OISE STU
Room 4-414
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/178140356027878/

Speakers:
Sami al-Kilani, Palestinian former prisoner in Israel, writer and poet

Faith Nolan, longtime organizer with women prisoners and well-known musician

Dawit Domoz, former prisoner in both Eritrea and Israel

Tori Cress, Idle No More organizer

Stuart Schussler, an organizer with No One is Illegal

Sam Nithiananthan, longtime activist and organizer in the Tamil community

Lydia Colihue, an organizer with the Women’s Coordinating Committee for a Free Walmapu

In honour of Palestinian Prisoners Day, Actions4Palestine will host a panel discussion, Criminalizing Resistance: Joint Struggles of Land Defenders, Human Rights Activists and all who struggle for liberation. This is an opportunity for organizations and activists to share their perspectives on this subject, to develop and deepen existing networks of solidarity and to work towards joint struggle. Although this event is being held in recognition of Palestinian Prisoners Day, we are looking to honour and open a space to share and discuss the connected struggles of political prisoners in diverse contexts.

As of January 2017, there are 6500 Palestinians in Israeli jails. Over 300 prisoners are children. At least 530 are being held in Administrative Detention — without charge or trial. Palestinians are not the only people where mass incarceration is used as a tool of repression. In Canada over one quarter of the prison population is comprised of Indigenous peoples and another 10% are Black Canadians. In the U.S., of the 2.3 million people incarcerated over 1 million are Black. The rate of incarceration of Native Americans is 38% higher than the general population. In Sri Lanka, the Sinhalese government continues to target the Tamil community, imprisoning and torturing political dissidents. From Burma to the Philippines to Saudi Arabia to Germany to France to Peru to Australia, imprisonment has been used by the state to stifle dissent and punish resistance.

We invite you to come and share your stories, knowledge, and to talk about how incarceration has been used against your community, particularly imprisonment without charges. We hope that this can build on the work that has been done in the past and to help strengthen ties and build across movements.

*This event is wheelchair accessible*

Organized by Actions4Palestine, Christian Peacemaker Teams-Ontario, and Beit Zatoun

If you would like to endorse our event, please contact us at Actions4Palestine@gmail.com or let us know on our page.

ENDORSEMENTS:
Coalition Against Israeli Apartheid (CAIA), Toronto
Faculty for Palestine (F4P), Toronto
International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network-Canada
Stop the Jewish National Fund-Canada
Women in Solidarity with Palestine

22 April, Waterford: Palestinian Political Prisoner Solidarity Protest

20 April 2017

Saturday, 22 April
2 pm
John Roberts Square
Waterford, Ireland
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/149770245547978/

Solidarity protest against administrative detention and supporting all Palestinian political prisoners.
Meeting at John Roberts square Waterford city at 2pm
Their are approximately 7,000 Palestinian political prisoners behind Israeli bars today: women, men, children and elders. Nearly 600 of them are held in administrative detention, imprisonment without charge or trial, while others face military courts with a conviction rate of over 99%. Hundreds of Palestinian children, as young as 12 years old, are held in Israeli prisons. Palestinian political leaders, including PFLP General Secretary Ahmad Sa’adat, Fateh leader Marwan Barghouthi, and Samira Halaiqa and 11 more members of the Palestinian Legislative Council, are held behind bars.

This year, thousands of Palestinian political prisoners have announced that they will launch a hunger strike beginning on 17 April to achieve a list of demands, including an end to the prohibitions and cuts to family visits, proper medical care and an end to medical neglect and an end to isolation and administrative detention. This strike comes five years after the collective Karameh strike of 2012, and is once again a critically important struggle for justice. On Palestinian Prisoners Day, this week of action is an important time to support the Palestinian prisoners’ movement and leadership in struggle.

22 April, Manchester: Victory to the Hunger Strikers! Free all Palestinian Prisoners!

20 April 2017

Saturday, 22 April
12 pm
Piccadilly Gardens
Manchester, UK
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/429459287404327/

Support the international callout for action to support Palestinian prisoners. Stall this Saturday in Piccadilly Gardens.

The prisoners’ solidarity movement has secured the release of Lena Jarbouni, the longest serving female prisoner. We will win!

1500 Palestinian prisoners launched their hunger strike on Monday, 17 April to achieve a series of demands, including access to public telephones for prisoners, an end to the denial of family visits, proper medical care, and an end to policies of solitary confinement and administrative detention, imprisonment without charge or trial.

While the strike was announced by Fateh prisoners with Barghouthi as their spokesperson, prisoners from the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, Islamic Jihad, the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, Hamas, the People’s Party and others have declared participation in the strike, especially in prisons like Hadarim, Gilboa and Nafha, where there is nearly unanimous participation in the strike among political prisoners. Perhaps the last mass strike which saw such broad participation was the 2014 administrative detainees’ hunger strike which involved all of those Palestinians held without charge or trial – at the time, a number below 200.

Manchester Boycott Israel Group – Victory to Palestine!
Victory to the Intifada
Fight Racism! Fight Imperialism! (FRFI) Manchester
Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network

www.frfi.co.uk
www.samidoun.net

21 April, Rome: International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian Prisoners

20 April 2017

Friday, 21 April
7:30 pm
Comitato Popolare
Via Passino 20, Garbatella-Rome

Documentary screening, “The war of disabilities,” followed by a lecture, discussion and buffet. Organized by Fronte Palestina as part of the international days of solidarity with Palestinian prisoners.

21 April, NYC: Protest to support the hunger strikers and stop HP

20 April 2017

Friday, 21 April
5:30 pm
Union Square – Best Buy
52 E. 14th St, NYC
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/707830809407918/

On Sunday, April 17 – the 43rd annual Palestinian Prisoners’ Day – 1,500 Palestinian political prisoners held by Israel launched the “Freedom and Dignity” hunger strike, their largest in five years.

The Palestinian prisoners’ movement and its supporters have called for international mobilization to help the strikers win their demands for family visits, adequate medical care and other basic improvements.

Continue a global week of actions to commemorate Prisoners’ Day.

Stand with the strikers and demand Israel release them and all 6,300 Palestinian political prisoners immediately, and that Hewlett Packard end its contracts with Israeli prisons and detention centers, occupation and security forces, and checkpoints and settlements now.

Build a growing international campaign to boycott HP over its support for Israeli crimes.

Support the Palestinian people, the Palestinian prisoners, the Palestinian Resistance, and the liberation of Palestine, from the river to the sea.

22 April, Amsterdam: Freedom for Palestinian political prisoners!

20 April 2017

Saturday, 22 April
1 pm
Het Spui
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/109880746238399/

— Zaterdag 22 april, Beursplein (vlakbij centraal station), Amsterdam, vanaf 13.00 uur vormen we een menselijke ketting in steun aan de Palestijnse gevangenen die nu in collectieve hongerstaking zijn voor hun rechten, in naam van Freedom and Dignity. Kom en steun de Palestijnse gevangenen!

—- Saturday april 22, Beursplein (near central station), Amsterdam, 13.00 hrs, we’re forming a human chain in support of Palestinian prisoners who are currently in a collective hungerstrike for their rights, in name of Freedom and Dignity.
Come and support the Palestinian prisoners!

Elk jaar staan de Palestijnse politieke gevangenen, het Palestijnse volk en supporters voor gerechtigheid en vrijheid in Palestina wereldwijd stil bij de Internationale Dag van Solidariteit met Palestijnse Gevangenen.

Op deze dag willen we met zoveel mogelijk mensen een human chain vormen , voor een paar euro kan je een stuk ketting kopen bij een van de doe-het-zelf winkels .
Event Pic made by Carlos Henrique Latuff

Palestinian lawyers boycott military courts; women prisoners begin protest steps

19 April 2017

1,500 Palestinian political prisoners are today entering their fourth day of open hunger strike to achieve a series of demands in the Dignity and Freedom strike, including an end to denial of family visits, proper medical treatment, the end of solitary confinement and administrative detention, imprisonment without charge or trial.

Inside the prisons, the strikers continue to be subjected to a series of repressive and punitive measures at the hands of the administration, including the denial of both legal and family visits, confiscation of clothing, blankets and personal items and removal of access to media, as well as frequent and punitive transfers and isolation for key strike leaders. Marwan Barghouthi, the spokesperson of Fateh prisoners on the strike and a prominent imprisoned Palestinian political leader, was reportedly transferred once again, this time to solitary confinement in Kishon prison near Haifa. Repression continued throughout the prisons overall, as a repressive force stormed Section 14 in Ofer prison, ransacking prisoners’ sections under the pretext of “inspection.”

Approximately 70 hunger striking prisoners were transferred to Ramle prison, including 40 from Hadarim and 30 from Nafha, Ramon and Ashkelon prisons.

Palestinian lawyers continued to boycott Israeli occupation military courts in response to the prohibition of legal visits for hunger striking prisoners. The Palestinian Prisoners’ Society and Prisoners’ Affairs Commission announced the boycott as part of a series of measures being pursued by Palestinian lawyers to address this denial of the rights of imprisoned Palestinians. On Wednesday, Tamim Younis, a lawyer with the Prisoners Affairs Commission and the brother of Karim Younis, a hunger strike leader and the longest constantly-held Palestinian prisoner, was denied access to his brother in Jalameh prison, while lawyer Shirin Iraqi was denied access to prisoners at Gilboa, confirming the ongoing denial of legal visits to the prisoners.

Additional prisoners continued to join the strike. Sidqi al-Maqt, the longest-held Syrian prisoner from the occupied Golan Heights, announced that he was joining the hunger strike in a letter read on al-Mayadeen TV network. Released in 2012 after 27 years in prison, he has been re-arrested since 25 February 2015.

Palestinian women prisoners in HaSharon and Damon prisons also announced on Wednesday that they were entering into steps of protest in support of the collective hunger strike. The 53 women prisoners said that they will begin their protest steps by returning meals every 10 days and will escalate their participation if the hunger strikers’ demands are not met. Khalida Jarrar, former prisoner and a leader in the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, emphasized that “the women prisoners cannot be separated from the prisoners in general, especially as they experience difficult living conditions and many are ‘flowers’ (minor girls).” She noted that the strike included several demands of particular importance to women prisoners, including private transportation on the “Bosta” and an end to the denial of family visits.

Jarrar noted that there are several severely wounded and disabled Palestinian women imprisoned, including Israa Jaabis, who lost most of her fingers, and Abla al-Aedam who continues to suffer from a severe traumatic head injury. Jarrar noted that “the prisoners derive their steadfastness and resolve from the breadth and volume of the solidarity they receive,” urging broad action and international political and popular work to support the prisoners.

Strong popular solidarity with the prisoners continued to be felt throughout Palestine and internationally as marches and solidarity tents for the prisoners continued in Arraba, Nablus, Ramallah, Bethlehem, Haifa, Gaza, Jenin, Salfit, Arroub camp, Dheisheh camp, Brussels, Vienna, London, Rome and numerous Palestinian, Arab and international locations.

Iman Nafie, a former prisoner and the wife of Nael Barghouthi, the longest-overall imprisoned Palestinian prisoner whose sentence of life plus 18 years was recently re-imposed by an Israeli occupation military court, emphasized the importance of popular, official and political support for the prisoners. “This step of struggle needs support from the outside on local, regional and international levels. The hunger strike of the prisoners is an important event with global repercussions,” said Nafie in Asra Media.

Latifa Mohammed Naji Abu Humeid, the mother of four prisoners, the brothers Nasr, Nasser, Mahmoud and Sharif, all from al-Amari refugee camp, began an open hunger strike on Wednesday in support with her children and all of the hunger strikers in Israeli jails.

Na’ama Abu Khader, the mother of the prisoner Ahmad Abu Khader from the village of Silat al-Zuhr south of Jenin, also entered a solidarity strike in support of her son and fellow Palestinian prisoners. “I decided to join the strike in support of the prisoners and their just demands. They are held in the cemetery of the living – the occupation kills them every day in those prisons,” she said.

Solidarity strikes were also announced by international supporters, including a Black 4 Palestine activist in New York, who said “I am hunger striking today in support of Palestinian liberation and self-determination, in solidarity with Palestinian political prisoners and those under occupation. I stand and fight against the actions of the Israeli state and police department, and against Zionism and imperialism.”

In Algeria, a number of civil activists announced their own hunger strike on 18 April in support of the strikers to express their “unconditional support for the struggle of the Palestinian people and the steadfastness of the Palestinian prisoners, and to show them they are not alone.” 27 Algerian activists joined the action in support of the prisoners.

Manchester and Glasgow protests highlight complicity of Barclays bank, demand freedom for Palestinian prisoners

19 April 2017

The following report was received from Manchester Boycott Israel Group and Fight Racism! Fight Imperialism:

Manchester Boycott Israel Group organised a picket of Barclays bank on 15 April in Manchester, UK, with support from the Revolutionary Communist Group and Manchester Palestine Action in a day of protest in solidarity with Palestinian political prisoners. The event came as part of the Week of Action to support Palestinian Prisoners’ Day.

Barclays is Britain’s biggest banking supporter of the arms trade, investing in BAE Systems, Boeing, Lockheed Martin and Raytheon, all of which supply weaponry to the Israeli occupation forces.

*Photo: Fight Racism! Fight Imperialism!*

Protesters also spoke about the role being played by G4S in the Zionist prisons and called on Britain to break its ties with the apartheid regime. Speakers highlighted the leadership of Palestinian prisoners such as Samer Issawi and Bilal Kayed in fighting to build the liberation movement and called for an end to British support for imperialist war on the region.

Meanwhile, also on 15 April, supporters of the RCG took to the streets of Glasgow, Scotland to mark Palestinian Prisoners’ Day. Participants gathered to suppot the 1,500 prisoners preparing to launch their hunger strike on Palestinian Prisoners’ Day, 17 April, to demand their rights and an end to administrative detention and solitary confinement.

Activists made their voices heard outside Barclays Bank, profiting from its investments in weapons companies like Raytheon. The cases of imprisoned PFLP leader Ahmad Sa’adat and the five young Hares Boys were highlighted, as well as the heroic struggle of Palestinian women both inside and outside the occupation’s dungeons.

Participants were joined towards the end by a comrade from Jenin, who has spent years campaigning for his friends in Israeli prisons.

“The liberation struggle in Palestine remains the key question of our time, and as solidarity is criminalised, we say ‘Free Palestine! Shoulder to shoulder with the prisoners’ fight! Zionism is racism!'” said the RCG Glasgow supporters in a statement.

Berlin protests urge freedom for Palestinian prisoners, end to security coordination

19 April 2017

Protesters gathered in Berlin at Rathaus Neukölln on Saturday, 15 April to mark Palestinian Prisoners’ Day and commemorate 40 days of the assassination of Palestinian youth leader Basil al-Araj, murdered by Israeli occupation forces as he resisted in his apartment in El-Bireh on 6 March. The protest came as part of the Week of Action for Palestinian Prisoners.

The demonstration, organized by the Democratic Palestine Committees with the support of various organizations and groups, came under attack from a pro-Zionist organization, the Green Youth, who threatened to hold a counter-protest and allegedly attempted to call upon the local police to cancel the Palestinian prisoners’ solidarity demonstration. Despite these threats and attempted suppression, the protest was well-attended and participants carried signs and banners in German, Arabic and English demanding freedom for all Palestinian prisoners. In their report on the protest, Jugendwiderstand noted that the protest included a large number of Palestinian and Arab youth who led chants, including “Thawra, thawra hatta al-Nasr” (Revolution until victory) and “Intifada bis zum Sieg!” (Intifada until victory)

Participants in the demonstration played Palestinian music and danced dabkeh while waving Palestinian flags and urging freedom for imprisoned Palestinians. Speakers included representatives of the Democratic Palestine Committees and FOR-Palestine, among others.

Protesters gathered in Berlin’s Hermannplatz once more on Monday, 17 April as part of the End Security Coordination actions called for by Palestinian youth. Participants gathered in the square with signs and flags, commemorating the assassination of Basil al-Araj and denouncing the Palestinian Authority’s policy of security coordination that saw al-Araj and his comrades imprisoned for over five months following PA President Mahmoud Abbas’ trumpeting of their arrest as a victory for security coordination.

Participants spoke about PA security coordination with Israel and the ongoing threat that it poses to the Palestinian people’s resistance and organizing, while highlighting the struggle of Palestinian prisoners for freedom. The protest also coincided with the launch of the hunger strike of Palestinian prisoners, and participants saluted the strike, urging victory for their demands and freedom for all prisoners.

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