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Saturday, July 5, 2025
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Geneva bends to Zionist pressure campaign, censors exhibition of Swiss revolutionary artist Mark Rudin

From 25 to 27 May an exhibition of Palestinian resistance posters by the late Swiss activist and artist Marc Rudin was to be held in Geneva, Switzerland, organized by Secours Rouge Geneva in collaboration with Samidoun Geneva. This exhibition was an opportunity to pay tribute to our comrade, who died on April 7, and his artistic and political work. At the exhibition’s opening, a discussion was planned around the theme “How to support the Palestinian resistance” with our comrade Mohammed Khatib, Europe coordinator of Samidoun. On Saturday 27 May, we had planned to screen the film “Fedayin: Georges Abdallah’s Fight,” produced by the Collectif Vacarmes Films. This exhibition has now been banned by the City of Geneva.

Less than 48 hours before the opening of the exhibition, we were contacted by the person responsible for the exhibition venue – the Almacén, who told us that the City of Geneva, owner of the building, had prohibited the holding of our exhibition. The City of Geneva claimed a lack of information concerning our project, information which was, in reality, all public. Shortly after, for the first time since the announcement of the ban on our exhibition and at our request, we were finally contacted directly by the personal representative of Alfonso Gomez, Administrative Advisor in charge of the Departments of Finance, Environment and Housing (DFEL) for the City of Geneva, and a member of the Green Party. During this call, the representative of the City explained to us that he has “a priori no problem” with our exhibition, that the City “normally never” gives its approval regarding the events held at the Almacén, that “until now [he] didn’t know what was going on there”. However, he said, our exhibition would address a “sensitive” theme and would pay tribute to a “controversial” personality. It is clear that such censorship is exceptional.

What motivated such a decision, as exceptional as it is political, are the “pressures” that the City received from organizations such as the European Jewish Association and an Israeli NGO which contacted the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA).

On the phone, we are told that the cancellation of our exhibition is the result of foreign Zionist organizations, under whose yoke the City of Geneva is placed. This is nothing surprising coming from the bourgeois parliamentary left, which always reveals the extent of its contradictions and even its hypocrisy.

The City also accused us of taking the Almacén “hostage”, considering that the Palestinian struggle “goes beyond” the association that runs the place, and added that we should have asked for “the agreement of someone in authority higher than a simple person who is a local volunteer.” We think and know that the people responsible for the Almacén are quite capable of grasping the stakes of such an exhibition, with all due respect to the City. Our project has always been clear, our line declared, and we have always been transparent with our interlocutors. Moreover, there is no information concerning the procedure that should supposedly have been taken to request the City’s agreement. In short, it is the Administrative Council which decided, under pressure from Zionist organizations, to force the hand of the Almacén to ban our exhibition, that is to say without even officially recording and stating its own decision. It is indeed the City of Geneva, acting as an accomplice of the Israeli political blackmail, that takes the leaders of the Almacén hostage, and threatens them to withdraw their authority over the venue itself.

Finally, we highlight the appalling censorship of artistic and revolutionary works. The posters of Marc Rudin, to whom we wanted to pay tribute through this exhibition, have indeed already been exhibited in Geneva in 1993 and, more recently, in 2015 during the Palestine “Filmer C’est Exister” festival, an exhibition which Marc Rudin attended in person. The City of Geneva today censors a Swiss artist, his freedom of expression and his revolutionary work. It is our duty to defend this work. We defend his work as we defend all forms of Palestinian resistance. We will not yield to the blackmail of Israel, nor to that of its pawns in Geneva, and we will not be silent.

All this clearly shows that the Western bourgeoisie defend, above all, the imperialist interests that Israel represents.

When the expression of our solidarity goes beyond that of a condescending humanism and when it speaks of resistance in all its forms, even Greater Geneva International feels threatened, even the Administrative Council of the City of Geneva, despite being composed of so many of “left” representatives, bends the knee.

More than ever, let us strengthen our support for all forms of resistance of the Palestinian people, past, present and future!

From boycott to armed struggle, their right to resistance is inalienable. In its anti-imperialist and anti-colonial nature, the struggle of our comrades against Israel is also our struggle!

Marc lives in our struggles!

From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free!

Secours Rouge Geneva

Samidoun Geneva

30 May, Basel & 31 May, Zurich: The Right Wing and Repression in Europe

Israel is currently experiencing a massive shift to the right and violence against the Palestinian population continues to escalate. At the same time, pro-Palestinian activism in Europe, especially in the German-speaking world, is increasingly criminalized and anti-Zionist Jewish voices are marginalized. Moshe Zuckermann, Dror Dayan, Tarek and a comrade from Samidoun Geneva will talk about these developments.

With: Dror Dayan, Tarek (FOR-Palestine), Samidoun Geneva und Moshe Zuckerman (Online)

Basel:
Tuesday, 30 May
7pm
Gewerkschaftshaus
Rebgasse 1

Zürich:
Wednesday, 31 May
7:30 pm
Volkshaus
Stauffacherstrasse 60 

 

Walid Daqqah transferred to Assaf Harofeh hospital after health deterioration

Murals in Paris call to free Walid Daqqah and Georges Abdallah

The family of Walid Daqqah, the imprisoned Palestinian intellectual and freedom fighter suffering from a rare form of cancer (myelofibrosis) and subjected to years of Israeli medical neglect inside occupation prisons, announced on Monday, 22 May that he had been transferred once again from the Ramle prison clinic to Assaf Harofeh civilian hospital.

The family also highlighted the importance in following updates from the official campaign page and avoiding the spread of unconfirmed reports.

He was transferred due to the deterioration of his health due to complications from the surgery performed on him to remove a portion of his right lung after he developed pneumonia during his cancer treatment. He is suffering from a severe inability to breathe and infection. Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network joins the family of Walid Daqqah, the campaign for his freedom and the entire Palestinian people in demanding his immediate release, the only way in which he can receive proper treatment without restrictions. The Israeli prison administration and the Zionist regime hold full responsibility for his life as they continue to deny him an appropriate environment to treat his rare cancer.

Vancouver marchers call for freedom for Walid Daqqah and Palestine

One week ago, on Monday, 15 May, Palestinian prisoners went on a one-day hunger strike to demand freedom for Walid Daqqah, as well as an end to the isolation and interrogation of imprisoned leaders Ahmad Sa’adat, Ahed Abu Ghoulmeh and Walid Hanatsheh.

Despite the severe condition of Daqqah’s health, he has been repeatedly removed from civilian hospitals and returned to the infamous Ramle prison clinic, referred to as the “slaughterhouse” by Palestinian prisoners.

Daqqah was diagnosed with myelofibrosis in December 2022, following a leukemia diagnosis 10 years before. Daqqah, 62, has been imprisoned since 25 March 1986. Sentenced to 37 years in occupation prisons, he should have been released in March of this year (2023), except for an additional two-year punitive sentence added on to his prison sentence, allegedly related to accessing mobile phones inside occupation prisons. Walid needs intensive health treatment for the lungs, kidneys and blood, and he also needs a very sensitive bone marrow transplant procedure (noting that more than one donor is available). This requires a therapeutic environment that is not available at a minimum level, in light of the conditions of his captivity and the strict guarding practiced by the prison administration.

The Palestinian Human Rights Organizations Council noted, about his medical condition:

The only curative treatment for Walid is a bone marrow transplant—one of the most difficult and dangerous medical procedures currently known. Gatt also recommended that Walid be put in a clean place where exposure to infections can be minimized, neither of which is possible inside the miserable conditions offered by Israeli prisons.

In mid-February 2023, Walid suffered from a severe cardiovascular stroke that led to a physical injury on his chest. Not only did the IPS in Askalan prison refuse to transfer him to a hospital for emergency treatment, the in-house prison clinic, despite diagnosing a blood clot as the cause of the stroke, refused to provide him with a necessary blood transfusion. Consequently, Walid lost a lot of blood through a minor tongue wound in the days that followed. Further, his medical records indicated that he lost over 10 kilos (22 pounds) in one and a half months. Only after his hematologist visited Askalan for a routine appointment, nearly two weeks after the stroke, was Walid finally transferred to Barzilai Medical Center. Similarly, as Walid developed symptoms of severe pneumonia over the past couple of weeks, the IPS once again ignored his health and evaded hospital admission until his lawyers and doctors intervened. Walid is currently being held in a private room at Barzilai, suffering from pneumonia, kidney failure, and a life-threatening drop in blood cell count.

Protesting for Walid Daqqah in Toulouse, France, on #Nakba75

Daqqah obtained a master’s degree in political science and wrote several books while behind bars, in the realm of political theory as well as fiction, including children’s fiction. On multiple occasions, he has faced harsh repression, including solitary confinement, especially targeted toward his expressive work. For example, Daqqah was thrown into solitary confinement when he published a new children’s book, “The Secret of Oil”; a launch event for the book in the town of Majd al-Kurum was shut down by far-right Israeli minister Aryeh Deri. In the preface to the book, Daqqah wrote, “I write until I am freed from prison, with the hope of freeing the prison from me.” This followed the defunding of a Haifa Palestinian theater that exhibited a play based on his work “Parallel Time.” His family’s official campaign page asserts:

“In spite of all the injustices and discriminations inflicted upon Daqqah throughout the 37 years of his incarceration, he has managed remarkable achievements that have made him in to the political, intellectual and cultural icon that he is. He has been a leader among the Palestinian Prisoners’ Movement and is a prominent figure in the Palestinian, Arab and international cultural scene, in particular in the field of prison studies. Even his intellectual life has been deemed dangerous as prisoner authorities subjected Daqqah to extra punishment due to his political, social and intellectual activism, in particular solitary confinement.

Daqqah is a prolific author. Among his works: Testimonies of Resistance: The Battle of Jenin Camp 2002 (2004); Consciousness Molded or the Re-identification of Torture (2010); The Story of the Forgotten in Parallel Time (2011); The Oil’s Secret Tale (2018); The Sword’s Secret Tale (2021); The Spirit’s Secret Tale/ The Martyrs Return to Ramallah (2022). In addition, Daqqah published several translations, and tens of articles both in Arabic and Hebrew, most prominently: “Parallel Tine” (2005); “Milad: I Write to a Childe Yet to Be Born” (2011); “Liberate Yourself by Yourself” (2020), and “Control through Time” (2021). Daqqah also has several unpublished manuscripts, paintings, poetry, lyrics, and autobiographical and theatrical writings.

Under these harsh circumstances, Daqqah married the activist, journalist and translator Sana’ Salamah on 10 August, 1999 in Askalan Prison. The occupation state denied them conjugal visits and their right to be parents, in spite of all the appeals. Undeterred, on 3 March 2020 their daughter Milad was born in Nazareth from liberated semen for artificial insemination.”

Postering for Walid Daqqah in Paris

We urge Palestinian communities around the world and supporters of Palestine to include the campaign to free Walid Daqqah in your events and activities for Palestine and to organize actions and events demanding his immediate liberation and that of all Palestinian prisoners. Use these signs below in your actions and campaigns, and send us your photos on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter or via email at samidoun@samidoun.net.

Use the hashtags:

Download below, in English, French, German, Spanish, Dutch, Swedish, Portuguese and Italian — or Download all PDFs (A3) or (11×17).

 

Solidarity with Palestine and Georges Abdallah at the Les Dissidentes festival in Switzerland

From 18 to 21 May, in La Sarraz, Switzerland, Contre-Attaque & Autonomie organized the Les Dissidentes festival , bringing together hundreds of people for numerous activities to promote radical and intersectional ecology. The Collectif Palestine Vaincra, a member organization of the Samidoun Network, participated in several events during the festival.

The Collectif was invited to speak as part of the “Internationalist Perspectives” roundtable, together with multiple organizations and collectives. Addressing over 100 people gathered for the event, the Collectif speaker addressed the commitment to the liberation of Palestine from the river to the sea as an integral part of anti-imperialist struggle. The speaker underlined that supporting the Palestinian cause is not only support for the Palestinian people in their legitimate fight for justice, dignity and liberation, but it is also support for ourselves, in our struggle against our countries’ imperialism.

It is in the name of the defense of imperialist interests in this region, first British, then Western in general and American in particular, that the Palestinian people have been the target of brutal colonization for more than 100 years now. To understand this is to understand that the Palestinian people face three enemies: imperialism, Zionism and the reactionary Arab regimes. In this way, the Palestinian cause has a Palestinian, Arab and international dimension through which we each have responsibilities, not in humanitarian support, but in mutual aid in the common struggle, an anti-imperialist struggle. In this sense, the liberation of Palestine is an important lever for the Arab revolution and the struggle against the Western imperialist powers. It is for these reasons that the defense of the Palestinian cause is a central Arab and international cause.

Secondly, the Collectif spoke about the process that led to its in March 2019. The Collectif Palestine Vaincra is the result of the convergence of Palestinian, Arab and internationalist activists around the international Samidoun network and the work of a dozen years as part of the mobilization for the release of Georges Abdallah, the Lebanese communist struggler imprisoned in France for 39 years. It is the fruit of this militancy and these meetings which enabled the Collectif to develop an approach which broke with the dominant currents of the Palestine solidarity movement.

Screening of “Fedayin” at the Les Dissidentes festival

In the evening, the Collectif Palestine Vaincra and Secours Rouge Geneva co-hosted a discussion following the screening of Fedayin, the fight of Georges Abdallah. Bringing together more than fifty people in a packed room, this discussion highlighted the importance of developing the international campaign of solidarity with the man who has become the longest-held political prisoner in Europe. In particular, the Collectif underlined that supporting his release is not only supporting a man who has remained faithful to his revolutionary principles despite nearly 39 years in prison, but is also supporting the Palestinian people and the legitimacy of their resistance. In conclusion, Secours Rouge reviewed the various activities currently carried out in Switzerland within the framework of support for the 75 years of Palestinian resistance since the Nakba, in particular the exhibition and the debate planned for 25 to 27 May in Geneva.

Thank you to Contre-Attaque & Autonomie for organizing this festival which has made it possible to continue and promote the work of solidarity with the Palestinian resistance in Switzerland carried out by many organizations and collectives, from the Collectif Sud Global to Samidoun Suisse and Secours Rouge Geneva and RJZ / Aufbau .

Joint action by Samidoun and Secours Rouge in Geneva

Source: Collectif Palestine Vaincra

31 May, Ottawa: Stop CANSEC – Shut Elbit Down!

Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network joins ILPS Canada and many other organizations to say: Canada, stop profiting off the arms trade! In 2022 the Canadian military spending reached over $36 billion which is set to increase by $8 billion over the next 5 years.

Canada’s involvement in the war industry and arms trades culminates every year in Ottawa with the Canadian Association of Defence and Security Industries (CANSEC), North America’s largest weapons and “defence industry” convention. There are representatives from weapons manufacturers, military technology companies, and government agencies from over 55 countries and with hundreds of exhibitors, all of whom profit from imperialist war and bloodshed.

Exhibitors at CANSEC include the Israeli government itself, the infamous Elbit Systems, targeted by Palestine Action in the UK, Palantir, Teledyne and more.

Despite what the government may claim, Canada’s involvement in the war industry is not for defense but rather to protect and maintain its imperial interests overseas while generating profits for the ruling class. The effects of Canadian arm sales and interventions in imperialist wars on ordinary people abroad are catastrophic. From its involvement in the war in Ukraine to the selling of weapons to reactionary regimes in places like Israel, the Philippines, and India, the Canadian state is no friend to the working people of the world. At home, the Canadian working class are made to suffer under rising inflation and a soaring cost of living as the government neglects the needs of the people in favour of profit.

Join us on May 31st at the EY Centre to shut down the biggest arm dealer convention in North America!

26 May, Copenhagen: Meeting in Solidarity with Palestinian Prisoner Ahmad Sa’adat

AHMAD SA’ADAT, PALESTINIAN FREEDOM FIGHTER AND POLITICAL PRISONER IN ZIONIST OCCUPATION PRISON

Friday 26 May; 5 pm to 7 pm
In Solidaritetsbutikken, Griffenfeldsgade 41, Nørrebro, Copenhagen, Denmark (See Danish text below)

More info: https://www.facebook.com/boykotisrael.dk

Program:
– Powerpoint presentation (in English) on Ahmad Sa’adat, the general secretary of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, about his life and imprisonment, first in the PA prison in Jericho in the West Bank, from there kidnapped and transferred to Israeli prison. Sa’adat has participated in many hunger strikes and other prisoner actions and is considered a leader of the Palestinian prisoners’ movement.

– Two Internationalt Forum activists talk briefly about their visit to Ahmad Sa’adat in the PA prison in Jericho in the summer of 2005.

– Questions and debate on the mentioned themes: PFLP, the Oslo Accords, the Palestinian Authority (PA), the Palestinian prisoners’ movement and the international solidarity with political prisoners.

Coffee, tea, cakes and popcorn will be served at solidarity prices

Free Ahmad Sa’adat and all political prisoners in Israeli occupation prisons

Fight imperialism and Zionism!

Organizer: International Forum Political Prisoners Group

**

Kom til møde om

AHMAD SA’ADAT, PALÆSTINENSISK FRIHEDSKÆMPER OG POLITISK FANGE I ZIONISTISK BESÆTTELSESFÆNGSEL

Fredag den 26. maj kl. 17 – 19
I Solidaritetsbutikken, Griffenfeldsgade 41, Nørrebro

Program:
– Powerpoint præsentation (på engelsk) af Ahmad Sa’adat, PFLP’s generalsekretær, om hans liv og fængsling, først i selvstyrefængsel i Jericho på Vestbredden, derfra kidnappet og overført til israelsk fængsel. Sa’adat har deltaget i mange sultestrejker og andre fangeaktioner og betragtes som leder af den palæstinensiske fangebevægelse.

– To IF-aktivister fortæller kort om deres besøg hos Ahmad Sa’adat i selvstyrefængslet i Jericho i sommeren 2005.

– Spørgsmål og debat om de nævnte temaer: PFLP, Oslo-aftalen, Det palæstinensiske selvstyre (PA), den palæstinensiske fangebevægelse og den internationale solidaritet med politiske fanger.

Der serveres kaffe, the, kager og popcorn til solidaritetspriser

Løslad Ahmad Sa’adat og alle politiske fanger i israelske besættelsesfængsler

Bekæmp imperialismen og zionismen!

Arrangør: Internationalt Forums Politiske Fanger Gruppe See less

25-27 May, Geneva: Exhibition of Palestinian resistance posters by Marc Rudin

As part of the action days for the 75th anniversary of the Nakba, Secours Rouge Geneva, in collaboration with Samidoun, is organizing an exhibition of posters by Marc Rudin.

The Swiss revolutionary artist and internationalist who died last April was part of the Palestinian liberation struggle for years. His political posters were published by Palestinian organizations, especially the PFLP, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.

The exhibition will take place from May 25 to 27 from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. every evening at L’Almacen, 6 rue des Grottes, Geneva.

On Thursday, May 25, during the opening, we are organizing a discussion on support for the Palestinian resistance with Mohammed Khatib, coordinator of Samidoun in Europe.

On Saturday May 27, we will screen the film “Fedayin, the fight of Georges Ibrahim Abdallah.

21 May, Basel and 23 May, Zurich: Mohammed Khatib on internationalist struggles for a liberated Palestine

Sunday, 21 May
3 pm
Gewerkschaftshaus
Rebgasse 1, Basel

Tuesday, 23 May
7:30 pm
Volkshaus
Stauffacherstrasse 60, Zurich

Mohammed Khatib, Europe coordinator of Samidoun, talks about the history of the Palestinian left and the importance of internationalism. We will look back at the struggles of the 1970s and 1980s, try to create a continuity, and discuss the struggles of the current Palestinian revolutionary left. In addition, we will discuss our role as revolutionaries in the global North. This event will be accompanied by an exhibition of posters by Marc Rudin.

Samidoun joins #Nakba75 events in Switzerland highlighting 75 years of Palestinian, Arab and international resistance

Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network is currently participating in a series of events organized by a coalition of groups in Switzerland. The week of action, for #Nakba75, includes exhibitions, cultural events, demonstrations and political events highlighting the Palestinian people’s liberation struggle through 75 years of ongoing Nakba.

As the call to the week noted, “The history of oppression of the Palestinian people is at the same time a history of resistance. In the 7Os, the revolutionary left of Palestine became a leading force in anti- colonial resistance, combining the struggle for a liberated Palestine with an internationalist revolutionary perspective. Palestine became an important reference point for the revolutionary left worldwide. Internationalists from all over the world joined the struggle for a liberated Palestine and carried it back to the Western metropolises with militant actions.”

The week is organized by an array of groups, including Lotta Basel, Phoenix, Secours Rouge, RJBW, RJB, RJZ (revolutionary youth organizations), Anakbayan, Palastina Kommittee Basel, Rote Hilfe and Revolutionary Aufbau.

On Saturday, 20 May, crowds in Zurich rallied at Ni-Una-Menos Platz or Helvetiaplatz before marching through the city. The march, organized by the Zurich Palestine Committee, was strong and unified, involving Kurdish, Tamil and other internationalist organizers alongside Palestinian and solidarity activists. “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free!” rang out through the streets of Zurich, accompanied by a strong call to “Boycott Israel!”

On Sunday, 21 May, Mohammed Khatib, the Europe coordinator of Samidoun Network, will speak in Basel at 3 pm at Gewerkschaftshaus, Rebgasse 1, on the past and present of internationalism in struggles for a liberated Palestine. The event will look back at the struggles of the 1970s and 1980s and discuss the strategies of the Palestinian revolutionary left, today and historically. The event will be accompanied by an exhibition of the posters of Marc Rudin, often known as Jihad Mansour, the Swiss artist and revolutionary who joined the Palestinian cause and designed many of the movement’s iconic posters of the 1970s and 1980s.

This event will be followed on Tuesday, 23 May by a new event in Zurich featuring Mohammed Khatib, speaking about the same topic, and also accompanied by a Marc Rudin exhibition, at 7:30 pm at the Volkshaus, Stauffacherstrasse 60.

A week later, on 30 May in Basel (7 pm, at the same location) and 31 May in Zurich (7:30 pm, same location), Samidoun Geneva will join a panel with several other speakers on repression targeting anti-Zionist organizing in Germany and throughout Europe.

In Geneva itself, Secours Rouge, together with Samidoun and other organizations will organize an exhibition of Marc Rudin’s work from 25 to 27 May at L’Almacen, 6 rue des Grottes in Geneva.

Mohammed Khatib will join the event on Thursday, 25 May at 7 pm for the opening of the exhibition along with a talk on how to support the Palestinian resistance. This event will be followed by a closing event on Saturday, 27 May at 8 pm, where organizers will screen the film, “Fedayin: Georges Abdallah’s Fight.”

Earlier in the month, organizers hosted several events, including a lecture on the ongoing Nakba by Palestinian feminist Budour Hassan, film screenings information meetings and other actions.

Resistance meets repression: Spontaneous march commemorates #Nakba75 in Berlin despite police bans

On Monday, 15 May, anonymous Palestinian, Arab and internationalist youth in Berlin, Germany, marched through Sonnenallee, one of the central streets of Berlin’s Arab community, in a spontaneous demonstration commemorating 75 years of ongoing Nakba and 75 years of Palestinian resistance and defying German state repression.

This action came after the Berlin police once again banned commemorations of the Nakba, the forcible displacement and ethnic cleansing of over 800,000 Palestinians from their homes and lands by Zionist militias in 1947-48 and the destruction or depopulation of 600 Palestinian villages. Since 1948, Palestinian refugees have been denied their right to return home by the Israeli Zionist regime created on the land of occupied Palestine.

Berlin police banned the 14 May mass demonstration called by the Revolutionary Solidarity Coalition to commemorate the Nakba and stand with 75 years of Palestinian resistance. This came one day after they also banned a performance demonstration scheduled on 13 May, in which participants planned to hold up watermelons, symbolizing Palestinian identity. Also on 13 May, police purportedly allowed a Palestinian cultural festival to take place. However, they banned participants from giving political speeches, banned dabkeh performances, and forced the removal of banners featuring Palestinian political prisoners, including Ahmad Sa’adat and Georges Abdallah, slogans like “Free Palestine,” books about Palestine and materials about the boycott, divestment and sanctions campaign.

This spontaneous action came in strong rejection of and resistance to the ongoing policy of repression targeting Palestinian and Arab communities in Berlin, home to the largest Palestinian population from Europe, many of whom are Palestinian refugees from Lebanon and Syria denied their rights to return home. This pattern of repression has included the banning of Palestinian Prisoners’ Day demonstrations; the banning of Al-Quds Day demonstrations; the banning of 2022 Nakba commemorations; political bans imposed on Rasmea Odeh and Khaled Barakat; and many other incidents, including the use of the administrative legal and immigration system to target activists for Palestine, including withdrawal of residency, threats to refugee status and bans from Germany and Europe for participating in public political activity for Palestine.

In the same week leading up to the Nakba commemoration, at least six uniformed Berlin police were sent to Sonnenallee to strip a large mural honoring the martyr Sheikh Khader Adnan, the Palestinian prisoner and long term hunger striker whose life was taken in occupation prisons after 86 days of hunger strike, from the windows of an unoccupied building.

Of course, these attacks target not only Palestinian organizing in exile and diaspora and anti-imperialist Palestine solidarity organizing but also the Palestinian liberation movement itself. By repressing solidarity with Palestine, including the targeting of Samidoun, the Berlin police and the German state are attempting to target the Palestinian prisoners and the Palestinian liberation movement. They are also attempting to silence the growing challenge to the German state’s ongoing military, political, economic and diplomatic collaboration with Israeli war crimes and crimes against humanity, as well as its full partnership with U.S. imperialism and NATO.

Later, the Berlin police also banned the major Nakba 75 demonstration planned for 20 May, once again citing extremely racist justifications and openly stating their fear of many Arabs participating in the demonstration. When Jewish progressives organized a Nakba memorial earlier on 20 May, the police did not ban it in advance; however, once the demonstration began, with speakers and large banners reading, “Free Palestine, “Ongoing Nakba, Ongoing Resistance,” and “End Apartheid,” police attacked the demonstration, ordered it dissolved and arrested Jewish and Palestinian organizers.

This action on 15 May on Sonnenallee demonstrates a clear message: that repression will never suppress the Palestinian voice or the Palestinian cause, on the Palestinian, Arab and international level, and can only spark greater unity against imperialism and Zionism. Such repression is being met with greater unity among all who are facing the boot of the German state, and ongoing resistance, in the spirit of the Palestinian resistance that has continued and is continuing despite 75 years of Nakba and colonialism.

More than 160 organizations, unions, and political parties around the world joined the call issued by Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network, as part of the “Revolutionary Solidarity Coalition”, against the extreme anti-Palestinian repression taking place in Germany.

To add your organization’s signature to the campaign, please click here.

Accompanying this international campaign, we formed a team of lawyers that will be undertaking the legal battle against the demonstration bans and the court cases for those who are targeted by the state for their struggle for a liberated Palestine. Support us and donate to:

Name: Rote Hilfe e.V.
IBAN: DE55 4306 0967 4007 2383 17
BIC: GENODEM1GLS
Note: Palaestina gegen Repression

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Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network
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