Palestine fundraiser next saturday - afternoon workshops now arranged
dange...@riseup.net
sorted. Entry is free before 8pm and a Palestinian cafe will be running
from 5pm so why not come down early, grab some dinner and get involved
with a workshop or two?
Full info on the night can be found here;
http://www.ism-london.org.uk/2225
4pm - 5pm
- A History of Palestine/Israel with Asa Winstanley
- An overview of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanction (BDS) movement. The
BDS movement was launched 5 years ago by a coalition of over 100
Palestinian trade unions, NGOs and community organisations with the aim of
promoting a boycott of Israel until the right of return, an end to the
occupation and full civil rights for Palestinian citizens of Israel are
achieved. The last two years have seen a huge growth in support for the
movement, Michael Deas will look at the history of the movement and its
future.
5-6pm
- An overview of direct action campaigns against Israeli settler companies
Ahava and Carmel Agrexco (what the fundraiser is for) with Matthew
Richardson. Both companies trade in products originating on illegal
Israeli settlements in occupied Palestine. Through the use of concrete,
superglue, drain pipes, bicycle locks and even horse manure, time and time
again these companies operations have been brought to a shuddering halt.
This workshop aims to give an overview of the two campaigns, their
objectives, and how they feed into the wider movement to free Palestine.
It will look at of the kinds of techniques which have been used, and some
of the difficulties and dangers which have been encountered. We will
explore at the legal rational behind the actions and explain the recent
victory of 4 protestors who were acquitted in court after having
�locked-on� inside the Ahava shop. We will look at what�s next for the
campaign, and most importantly, how to get involved!
- An overview of Brighton's Smash EDO campaign, which recently saw
campaigners who caused over �200,000 worth of damage to the EDO arms
factory acquitted of criminal damages on the basis that they were
preventing war crimes by stopping EDO selling arms to Israel.
6pm - 8pm
- Screening of Bil'in Habibti, a documentary about the popular struggle
against the apartheid wall in the West Bank village of Bil'in, who have
demonstrated against the theft of their land by the wall every Friday for
over 5 years. Directed by Shai Pollack, activist with Israeli Palestine
solidarity group Anarchists Against the Wall.
Asa Winstanley is an independent journalist who writes for Electonic
Intifada, the New Left Project and others. He first went to Palestine in
2004 and spent two years living and working in the occupied West Bank. He
wrote for and was managing sub editor of the Palestine Times, which was
the first Palestinian English-language daily newspaper published from the
occupied West Bank. He has written and edited background articles for the
Jerusalem Media and Communcations Centre, a respected polling and news
agency. Other clients have included NOX magazine, Red Pepper and Freedom.
Michael Deas is the Eurpoean Co-Ordinator of the Palestinian National BDS
Comittee.
Matthew Richardson is a human rights activist who has been involved in
Palestine solidarity for the past 3 years. He has visited Palestine twice
and has been involved in a direct action both in Palestine and also here
in the UK.