On 17 April the Revolutionary Communist Group (RCG) in Glasgow held a rally in the city centre to mark Palestine Prisoners Day. We were joined by individual and collective supporters of Palestine, from Glasgow Palestine Action (GPU), the Scottish Palestine Solidarity campaign (SPSC) and Palestine university society members.
The passing public received leaflets about the struggle of Palestinian political prisoners and were asked to sign a petition calling for their freedom. We got good support and speeches were given by members of the RCG on the importance of defending the right to defend Palestine given the on-going Sheriff Court cases against solidarity activists in Glasgow and around Britain. We will not be criminalised!
The RCG has stood with those arrested for protesting against Barclays Bank and Thales UK. Both are targets for the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement for investing in and trading with Israeli arms and surveillance company Elbit systems. The British security multinational G4S has also been targeted across Britain for its contracts with Israel which include staffing the abusive and torture ridden prisons and detention centres where over 6,000 Palestinian political prisoners are held.
According to the Palestinian prisoners support and rights organisation Addameer these include 454 administrative detainees (held without charge or trial), 22 women and 163 children. Some are imprisoned for resisting the occupation and destruction of their land and people and others just for being Palestinian. International protests continue for the release of the five Hares Boys who are each facing 20 years in prison for an event that never happened. These are joined by the calls for the immediate release of Palestinian parliamentarian Khalida Jarrar who was arrested on 2 April for continuing to speak out against the occupation. She joins the 17 other elected members of the Palestinian Legislative Council currently in Israeli jails, including Amad Sa’adat, serving a 30 year sentence.
Recent revelations of Police Scotland renewing training contracts with Sri Lankan police forces, responsible for atrocities against the Tamil people, underline the point that British imperialism has no progressive role to play in the world. The greatest solidarity we can give to the Palestinian people is to take up the struggle against the racism and imperialism happening within and from Britain to the rest of the world. The RCG is committed to building this political solidarity in Britain. Join us!
Free all Palestinian political prisoners!
Defend the right to defend Palestine!
Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions!
For more info visit on Palestinian prisoners visit: http://www.addameer.org/
https://haresboys.wordpress.com/ and facebook ‘Free the Hares Boys’
http://freeahmadsaadat.org/
http://samidoun.ca/khalidajarrar/ and facebook ‘solidarity with Khalida Jarrar’
Upcoming Protest and Conference
Like our Facebook page ‘Glasgow FRFI’ for more details
May Day protest: Workers and oppressed peoples of the world unite!
Friday 1st May, 3.30pm,
Argyle/Buchanan St, outside HSBC
Bring flags, banners, whistles, pots and pans, open megaphone for all to use
Ending Scottish arms trade with Israel conference
Saturday 9 May, 9am-6pm, The Renfield centre
Glasgow G2 4JP, visit http://www.esati.org/
Organised by the Scottish Palestine Solidarity campaign
