Photos: #UNDropG4S global week of action kicks off with New York City protest outside UN headquarters

24 November 2015

Demonstrators rallied in Dag Hammarskjöld Plaza on Monday, 23 November to mark the United Nations’ International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People and protest the UN’s contracts with British-Danish security company G4S, which also equips Israeli checkpoints, detention centers, military and police forces, and prisons. The demonstration, organized by Samidoun: Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network, was the first event in a global week of protests demanding the UN end its ties to the company.

Forthcoming actions will take place in Ireland, Belgium, Italy, Amman, Jordan and elsewhere, alongside a social media campaign in the coming week. 220 organizations have called on the UN to cancel its contracts with G4S, worth millions of dollars annually.

The British Labour Party is the most recent G4S client to cancel its contracts because of its involvement in Israeli repression in Palestine, following the Gates Foundation’s divestment of a $170 million stake after a prolonged campaign, and universities in the UK and Europe rejecting G4S contracts due to its human rights record.

Photos by Joe Catron of Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network.

Audio: Climate of Control – Testimonies of former Palestinian prisoners

23 November 2015

Status Hour and Addameer produced this five-part audio testimony on the experiences of Palestinian political prisoners.

Four former political prisoners – Ayman Nasser, Ahmad Attoun, Mokhles Borghal and Mohammad Mogharbi – recount their arrests, interrogations, and time in Israeli occupation prisons. The Arabic testimonies are accompanied by a supplemental introduction in English with Sahar Francis, the general director of Addameer, who discusses the climate of control Israeli authorities create and enforce, as well as if and how tactics have changed throughout the years.

See the full page for these interviews: http://www.statushour.com/sahar-francis-ayman-nasser-ahmad-attoun-mokhles-borghal-and-mohammad-mogharbi.html

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British Labour Party dumps G4S over its involvement in Israeli prisons, human rights violations

23 November 2015

The British Labour Party will no longer be doing business with G4S. The National Executive Committee of the party voted 12-4 to boycott G4S over its involvement with Israeli repression against Palestinians – providing security systems and control rooms to Israeli prisons imprisoning Palestinian prisoners and equipment to Israeli police training centers in Jerusalem.

Campaigners have long called upon the Labour Party to stop doing business with G4S, whose human rights abuses are not limited to Palestine but include its record on forced deportations from the United Kingdom, prisons in South Africa, mining companies in Canada and elsewhwere. Protests have taken place outside Labour Party conferences calling for an end to the contracts with G4S. Palestinian political prisoners have urged international action to boycott G4S.

“This is great news. The role of G4S in the Israeli occupation of Palestine includes complicity in the detention of children and the torture of Palestinian prisoners, breaking international law in the process. The Labour Party has always stood for social justice, fairness and decency, this decision shows we will stand up and act ethically and responsibly when working with businesses,” said Grahame Morris, Labour Member of Parliament and chair of Labour Friends of Palestine and the Middle East.

This comes as 220 Palestinian and international organizations are calling on the United Nations to stop doing business with G4S. The UN provides G4S, the world’s largest private security corporation, with $22 million in business annually. A week of action is beginning today with a protest in New York City during the UN’s commemoration of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, calling on the UN to join the boycott of G4S.

G4S security systems and control rooms are used in the Israeli prisons that imprison Palestinian political prisoners, and in the interrogation centers where Palestinians – including children – are tortured and abused. G4S is also providing equipment to the Israeli police training center in Jerusalem, training Israeli police in the suppression of Palestinians in Jerusalem. Through these contracts, G4S is involved in the imprisonment of over 6,500 Palestinian political prisoners and the Israeli attacks on Palestinians in Jerusalem, including Israeli attacks on Al-Aqsa Mosque.

The Gates Foundation divested its $170 million investment in G4S in 2014 after a global campaign, and universities in Europe and the UK have rejected contracts with G4S over its actions in Palestine.

Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network salutes the campaigners whose years of work have led to one less contract for G4S and a politically significant victory, and urges the UN to follow the Labour Party, dump G4S from its approved contractors list and cancel its G4S contracts.

10 December, San Jose: Honoring Leonard Peltier and Rasmea Odeh

23 November 2015

Thursday, December 10
6:00 pm
School of Arts & Culture @MHP, 1600 Alum Rock Ave., San Jose, CA 95116
Facebook Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/1671490503066324/

We are honoring Leonard Peltier and Rasmea Odeh on Thursday 10th December, International Human Rights Day.

Both Leonard and Rasmea are political prisoners who have worked tirelessly for years struggling for freedom, justice and liberty – basically human and civil rights – for their people. Both were bogusly charged and wrongfully convicted by the U.S. Federal in trials which violated many of their Constitutional rights. Leonard Peltier and Rasmea Odeh are innocent!

Join us to find out more about their cases.

This is a potluck event. If you can bring something to share, it must be prepackaged, that is you cannot cook it at home.

This event is sponsored by Leonard Peltier Support Group Silicon Valley.

Co-sponsors:
South Bay Committee Against Political Repression (SBCAPR)
San Jose Peace & Justice Center (SJPJC)

For more information about:
Leonard Peltier:
www.whoisleonardpeltier.info

Rasmea Odeh:
www.stopfbi.net
http://justice4rasmea.org/
http://uspcn.org/

For more information about this event please contact:
Donna Wallach
FreedomNow4LeonardPeltier@gmail.com
(h) 408-557-8824
(cell) 408-569-6608

Video: Nick Maniace of Samidoun on #UNDropG4S campaign and protest

23 November 2015

Nick Maniace, of Fight Imperialism Stand Together (FIST) and Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network, speaks on Friday, 20 November about the campaign to demand the United Nations stop doing business with G4S, the British/Danish security corporation that provides security systems and control rooms to Israeli prisons that hold Palestinian political prisoners and equips Israeli police training centers in Jerusalem.

Maniace spoke at a Workers World Party forum in New York City about G4S, the global call for actions in the coming week to end its UN business, and the upcoming protest in New York, Monday, November 23 at 4:00 pm, at Dag Hammarskjold Square, outside the UN, calling for an end to the UN’s G4S deals.

Take Action: Palestinian poet sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia

22 November 2015

Ashraf Fayadh, Palestinian refugee poet and artist living in Saudi Arabia, has been sentenced to death by a Saudi court, on charges of apostasy or abandoning his faith in Islam. The charges appear to be based on his poetry and writing, and may also be a form of retaliation for posting an online video showing Saudi religious police lashing a man in public.

Fayadh is a Palestinian refugee who was born in Saudi Arabia and has become a leading member of the young Saudi art scene. He was arrested in January 2014, his identity documents confiscated, and held for a lengthy period without charge. He was then sentenced to four years in prison and 800 lashes; after he appealed, he was retried last month and sentenced to death. He did not have legal representation.

“According to Fayadh’s friends, when the police failed to prove that his poetry was atheist propaganda, they began berating him for smoking and having long hair,” reported the Guardian. Fayadh said his poetry book, Instructions Within, is “just about me being [a] Palestinian refugee … about cultural and philosophical issues. But the religious extremists explained it as destructive ideas against God.”

One hundred Arab intellectuals have called for Fayadh’s release. Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network joins the call for the immediate freedom of Ashraf Fayadh. His imprisonment, persecution and death sentence by the Saudi regime reflects the deeply reactionary and far-right role played by the Saudi regime in the region – alongside its close imperial partners in the United States, Canada and Europe – that threatens Palestinian and Arab culture, life, and movements and works to block and suppress any struggle for liberation.

Take Action:

1. Call the Saudi Embassy in your area and demand freedom for Ashraf Fayadh. In the United States, call 202-342-3800. In Canada, call 613-237-4100. Find the embassy in your country here: http://embassy.goabroad.com/embassies-of/saudi-arabia

2. Protest at the Saudi Embassy in your area for freedom for Ashraf Fayadh. Print signs and materials, and gather outside the Saudi embassy with Palestine rights activists, artists and others to demand his freedom. See the list of Saudi embassies here: http://embassy.goabroad.com/embassies-of/saudi-arabia

3. Contact your government officials . The Saudi regime is a close partner of the United States, Canadian and various European governments. Demand that your government pressure the Saudi regime to release Fayadh. In Canada, Call the office of the Foreign Minister, Stéphane Dion, at 613-996-5789 and demand Canada pressure Saudi Arabia to release Fayadh, or email: stephane.dion@parl.gc.ca. In the US, call the White House (202-456-1111) and the US State Department (202-647-9572); demand the US pressure Saudi Arabia to release Fayadh. In the EU, contact your MEP – you can find your MEP here.

29 November, Istanbul: Conference – The Struggle of Palestinian Prisoners, International Solidarity and Boycott

21 November 2015

Sunday, 29 November
11:00 am – 5:00 pm
Istanbul Chamber of Physicians/Cagaloglu
Istanbul, Turkey
Facebook Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/1005815899483951/

BDS Turkey (Filistin için Israil’e Boykot Girisimi) is marking the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People with a conference on Palestinian prisoners, international solidarity, and the boycott movement, on 29 November.

The conference features the voices of Palestinian prisoners, thousands of whom are held in Zionist prisons, and focuses on building tools and forms of international solidarity with prisoners and an effective boycott campaign in Turkey. Since 1977, 29 November has been marked as the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People. In this conference, we will hear the voices of freed prisoners, the ongoing struggles of Palestinian political leaders held in Zionist prisons, and the role of prisoners in international solidarity with Palestine and the BDS movement.

The event will take place in Turkish and Arabic with simultanrous translation.

SPEAKERS:
Amneh Muna, former prisoner, held for 11 years in occupation prisons
Lina Khattab, Palestinian student activist and former prisoner
Fadwa Barghouti, Palestinian activist and lawyer, Campaign to Free Marwan Barghouti
Mahmoud Hassan, Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association, lawyer of Ahmad Sa’adat, imprisoned General Secretary of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine
Ayse Düzkan, BDS Turkey

This event is endorsed by Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network. Turkish and Arabic follow.

Filistin için İsrail’e Boykot Girişimi (BDS-Türkiye), Siyonist hapishanelerde bulunan binlerce Filistinli esirin sesini duyurmak, esirlerle uluslararası dayanışmanın araç ve biçimlerini tartışmak ve etkili bir boykot kampanyasına duyulan ihtiyacın altını çizmek ve Türkiye için bir hat çizmek üzere, 29 Kasım Pazar günü bir uluslararası konferans düzenliyor.

1977 yılından beri dünya çapında “Filistin Halkıyla Dayanışma Günü” olarak kabul edilen 29 Kasım tarihine denk getirdiğimiz bu konferansta, özgürleştirilmiş esirlerin deneyimlerinin kendi ağızlarından paylaşılmasının yanı sıra, halen Siyonist hapishanelerde bulunan Filistinli siyasi liderlerin mücadeleleri, en yakınlarında bulunan isimler tarafından aktarılacak, esirlerle uluslararası dayanışma ve BDS hareketlerinin rolü de ele alınacaktır.

Arapça-Türkçe ve Türkçe-Arapça simültane çevirinin yapılacağı etkinliğimize katılımınızı bekliyoruz.

PROGRAMI

11.00-11.30

Açılış konuşması

Selim Sezer (BDS Türkiye adına)

11.30-13.30

Birinci Oturum: Filistinli esirlerin mücadelesi

Amne Muna (Amneh Muna) – 11 yıl işgal hapishanelerinde kalmış, özgürleştirilmiş esir
Lina Hattab (Leena Khattab) – Filistin öğrenci hareketi temsilcisi, özgür kalmış esir
Moderatör: Kutlu Dane

13.30-14.00: Ara

14.00-16.00

İkinci Oturum: Filistinli esirlerle uluslararası dayanışma ve boykot hareketi (BDS)

Fedva Barguti (Fadwa Bargouthi) – Filistinli eylemci ve avukat; Filistin milletvekili ve esir lider Mervan Barguti’nin [Marwan Bargouthi] eşi)
Mahmud Hasan (Mahmoud Hassan) – Addameer Esirleri Destekleme ve İnsan Hakları Kuruluşu avukatı; Filistin milletvekili ve esir FHKC Genel Sekreteri Ahmed Saadat’ın avukatı)
Ayşe Düzkan – BDS Türkiye üyesi, yazar ve eylemci
Moderatör: Mehmet Özgün Özkul

16.00-16.30: Ara

16.30: Sonuç deklarasyonunun okunması

17.00: Kapanış

(*) Her iki oturumun sonundaki 30 dakika, soru ve katkılara ayrılacaktır.

مؤتمر “الأسرى الفلسطينيون: حركة التضامن والمقاطعة الدولية”
يوم التضامن العالمي مع الشعب الفلسطيني
۲۹ تشرين ثاني ۲۰۱٥
اسطنبول – تركيا

۱۱.۰۰ – ۱۱.۳۰
كلمة الافتتاحية
سليم سيزير. عضو حركة المقاطعة في تركيا.
۱۱.۳۰ – ۰۱.۳۰
الجلسة الأولى: الحركة الاسيرة في سجون الاحتلال الصهيوني.
آمنة منى: أسيرة فلسطينية مُحَرّرة، مبعدة من الارض المحتلة. قضت في سجون الاحتلال ۱۱ عاماً.
لينا خطاب: أسيرة فلسطينية مُحَرّرة و ناشطة في الحركة الطلابية الفلسطينية.
۰۱.۳۰ – ۰۲.۰۰
استراحة
۰۲.۰۰ – ۰۰.۰٤
الجلسة الثانية: التضامن العالمي مع الأسرى الفلسطينيين / دور حركة المقاطعة العالمية.
فدوى برغوثي: مُحامية ومناضلة فلسطينية. زوجة الأسير القائد والنائب في المجلس التشريعي الفلسطيني مروان البرغوثي.
محمود حسان: محام يعمل في مؤسسة الضمير لرعاية شؤون الاسرى وحقوق الانسان. المحامي عن القائد الاسير والنائب في المجلس التشريعي الفلسطيني أحمد سعدات، الأمين العام للجبهة الشعبية لتحرير فلسطين.
عائشة دوزكان. عضوة حركة المقاطعة في تركيا.
۰۰.۰٤ – ۳۰.۰٤
استراحة
۳۰.۰٤ – ۰۰.٥۰
البيان الختامي

المكان: نقابة الأطباء الأتراك
العنوان: İstanbul Tabipler Odası (Türk Ocağı Caddesi No: 9 Kat: 2-3 Cağaloğlu – İstanbul
ملاحظة:۳۰ دقيقة من كل جلسة ستكون مخصصة للأسئلة والأجوبة والنقاش.
المؤتمر سيكون مترجم باللغتين العربية والتركية بترجمة فورية.

afiş2AR

Photos: New Yorkers protest to #StopG4S before global #UNDropG4S week of action

21 November 2015

On Friday, 20 November, New Yorkers gathered outside the offices of G4S, the British/Danish security conglomerate subject to a global boycott call for its occupation and apartheid profiteering, including providing security systems and control rooms for Israeli prisons which hold Palestinian political prisoners, and equipping the Israeli police training center that trains the police attacking Palestinians in Jerusalem and at Al-Aqsa mosque. Samidoun NY has been holding weekly protests outside the New York G4S office, demanding a boycott and distributing leaflets with information on G4S’ activities.

The United Nations contracts with G4S as well – up to $22 million annually in contracts. 220 organizations, including Palestinian and international groups, have called upon the UN to stop doing business with G4S because of its horrendous human rights record.

On November 23-30, 2015, coinciding with the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, activists and organizations around the world are organizing a global week of action calling for the UN to end its G4S contracts: #UNDropG4S.

Samidoun and a number of organizations in New York City will be protesting at the United Nations on Monday, 23 November, as part of this global action; actions will also take place in Amman, in Belgium, and in more cities to be announced. Join the NYC protest:

#UNDropG4S: Tell the United Nations to cut ties with Israel prison contractor G4S
Monday, November 23
4:00 PM
Dag Hammarskjold Plaza
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/1634714110122391/

29 November, Amman: #UNDropG4S – Demand UN cancel its contracts with G4S

21 November 2015

Sunday, 29 November
2:00 pm
UN Development Program – UNDP office, United Nations building
Amman, Jordan
Facebook Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/864404013678101/

The security corporation G4S is a partner in the occupation, contracting with Zionist army and police. The United Nations contracts with G4S in over 24 countries, including Jordan. Join us to convey the message to the United Nations to cancel its contracts with G4S until the corporation ends its contracts with the Zionist prison administration, providing security systems and control rooms to the prisons that detain Palestinians and Jordanians, and ends its participation in the Zionist police academy. This is part of an international campaign to pressure the UN to stop doing business with G4S.

Jordan BDS video:

#UNDropG4S: Call for global actions November 23-30

19 November 2015

Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network is participating in the following call for global actions to demand the United Nations cancel its contracts with G4S, organizing an action in New York City on 23 November at 4:00 pm. Below is the global call to action (Facebook event here: https://www.facebook.com/events/1627201044209164/)

Palestinian groups and solidarity networks across the world are campaigning for the UN to cancel its contracts with G4S, the private security company that helps Israel run prisons at which Palestinian political prisoners are held without trial and subjected to torture.

In October alone, Israel arrested over 1,000 Palestinians as a means to repress Palestinian popular resistance. Many of these people will be held in Israeli prisons that G4S is helping to run. By contracting G4S to provide security services worth than $22m each year, the UN turning a blind eye to the role that G4S plays in Israel’s oppression of Palestinians.

Palestinian organisations including Addameer, the Palestinian Human Rights Organizations Council, the BDS National Committee, along with more than 200 groups from across the world recently wrote to the UN saying that its relationship with G4S was out of step with the UN’s stated policies and principles. So far, no response has been received to that letter. Not it’s time to turn up the pressure on the UN.

November 29 is the UN-declared International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People. On that day and the few days on either side, groups in Jordan, New York and across Europe are mobilising to hold actions at UN offices to show the UN that there is growing opposition to its relationship with G4S. There will also be online and social media actions to get involved with.

The broad international coalition involved in the campaign is encouraging supporters to:

1) Hold a creative protest action or letter hand in at a UN office near you. Many capital cities also have smaller offices for the UNHCR, the UN body that has the largest number of contracts with G4S. Actions are already planned in Brussels, Rome, Dublin, London, Amman, New York City, and beyond Nov 23-30.

2) TAKE ACTION ONLINE:
– Encourage your members and supporters to take a simple online action when it is posted here around Nov. 27.
– Join the Facebook event page and share posts as they come through with your followers.
– Tweet and use other social media to create buzz around the events – example tweets and memes will follow shortly.

Global facebook page – November 23-30: https://www.facebook.com/events/1627201044209164/

New York: #UNDropG4S: Tell the United Nations to cut ties with Israel prison contractor G4S
Monday, November 23
4:00 PM
Dag Hammarskjold Plaza, NYC
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/1634714110122391/

Amman: #UNDropG4S – Demand UN cancel its contracts with G4S
Sunday, 29 November
2:00 pm
UN Development Program – UNDP office, United Nations building, Amman, Jordan
Facebook Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/864404013678101/

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