Palestine activists oppose arming Israel
Palestine activists to launch ‘football and hip hop blockades’ against global arms fair
Palestine solidarity activists are planning to use mass football games and live music to prevent deliveries of weapons for the world’s biggest arms fair.
Launching a week of action [1] with a Stop Arming Israel day on September 4th from 10am until 8.30pm, organisers London Palestine Action expect hundreds to join a series of direct actions and workshops designed to prevent the set-up of the biennial Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) in Custom House, East London.
A mobile stage will host a DJ set by Faithless member Dave Randall, Palestinian hip hop artists from Katibe 5, punk queen Efa Supertramp and the live debut of Some F*cking People [2] the band which recently covered Radiohead’s ‘Creep’ to critical acclaim. [3]
A mass football game with ‘massive balls’ aims to ‘use the beautiful game against ugly apartheid’. [4] A mobile and human-worn representation of Israel’s apartheid wall is also ready to form up at short notice say London Palestine Action.
“Our day of action focuses on the UK-Israeli arms trade, but the whole week will see us protest against militarisation, and for the collective liberation of all peoples enduring apartheid, occupation and the unaccountability of governments around the world, which should stop arming regimes – of which Israel is a key example – immediately,” said Leila White of London Palestine Action.
As Israel showcases its deadly weaponry in East London, it will simultaneously attempt to deflect attention with a cultural-propaganda festival ‘TLVinLDN’. [5] The Roundhouse, Cadogan Hall and The Coronet will hold events attempting to present a prettier face to Israeli occupation and apartheid. Leila White of London Palestine Action said, “Israeli government-sponsored arts events show perfectly why we call for both a two-way arms embargo and a cultural boycott of Israel until it complies with international law in relation to Palestinian rights”.
For more information: informatiolondonpalestineaction@gmail.com @londonpalestine
[1] Stop The Arms Fair https://www.stopthearmsfair.org.uk/ and https://www.facebook.com/events/250690978765119/
[2] https://www.facebook.com/events/101642517239349/
[3] https://twitter.com/ajplus/status/892220228167360514 and https://twitter.com/paulmasonnews/status/887317749139206144
[4] Football Against Apartheid https://www.facebook.com/events/124294461529574/
[5] http://www.roundhouse.org.uk/whats-on/2017/tlv-in-ldn-festival/
Full programme of events on September 4th
10.00 Arrive! ‘Why are we here? An introduction to the issues & groups present.’
11.00 Workshop: Social cleansing and colonialism: Custom House to Palestine
11.30 Workshop: Learn to dabke
12.30 Picnic Lunch *please bring food to share!*
13.30 Workshop: Banner making
15.00 ‘Why are we here? An introduction to the issues & groups present.
15.30 Sheffield People’s Tribunal
16.00 Workshop: BDS 101
17.00 Discussion: Why Cultural Boycott?
18.00 FOOTBALL GAME!
19.00-20.30 Live music and DJs featuring…Dave Randall (Faithless), Katiba 5, Some F*cking People & Efa Thomas
Ray Hanania is an award winning political and humor columnist who analyzes American and Middle East politics, and life in general. He is an author of several books.
Hanania covered Chicago Politics and Chicago City Hall from 1976 through 1992 at the Daily Southtown and the Chicago Sun-Times. He began writing in 1975 publishing The Middle Eastern Voice newspaper in Chicago (1975-1977). He later published “The National Arab American Times” newspaper (2004-2007).
Hanania writes weekly columns on Middle East and American Arab issues as Special US Correspondent for the Arab News ArabNews.com, at TheArabDailyNews.com, and at SuburbanChicagoland.com. He has published weekly columns in the Jerusalem Post newspaper, YNetNews.com, Newsday, the Orlando Sentinel, Houston Chronical, and Arlington Heights Daily Herald.
Hanania is the recipient of four (4) Chicago Headline Club “Peter Lisagor Awards” for Column writing. In November 2006, he was named “Best Ethnic American Columnist” by the New American Media. In 2009, Hanania received the prestigious Sigma Delta Chi Award for Writing from the Society of Professional Journalists. He is the recipient of the MT Mehdi Courage in Journalism Award. He was honored for his writing skills with two (2) Chicago Stick-o-Type awards from the Chicago Newspaper Guild. In 1990, Hanania was nominated by the Chicago Sun-Times editors for a Pulitzer Prize for his four-part series on the Palestinian Intifada.
His writings have also been honored by two national Awards from ADC for his writing, and from the National Arab American Journalists Association.
Hanania is the US Special Correspondent for the Arab News Newspaper, covering Middle East and Arab American issues. He writes for the Southwest News newspaper group writing on mainstream American issues.
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