Respect - "Palestine Lives" - report and pictures

"Palestine Lives" - report and pictures

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"Palestine Lives" - report and pictures

Saturday 7th June 2008 in Albert Square Manchester saw a fantastic celebration of Palestinian art, culture, history, experience and politics.

Palestinian Lives event, June 2008

For Palestinian people, it is 60 years of the Nakba [disaster]. Yet despite this there is much to celebrate. Palestine and its culture still exist, thanks to the courage and resilience of its people. Palestine Lives - 2008!

This event was a year in the planning, particularly designed to counter the appalling assertion of 60 years existence of the Zionist Israeli state is something to celebrate. Also, it followed the similar gathering last June in Sheffield, and once again people from northern towns and cities came together and showed their support and solidarity with the Palestinian people.

The political context for the event was set at a meeting the night before. On Friday evening 200 people listened to Ilan Pappe, Israeli historian, explain how the "transfer" of 1948 was, from the start, an integral part of a carefully planned strategy of ethnic cleansing. He has documented proof how this has been planned and achieved, and terrifyingly how the strategy of creating the world's largest prison is allowed to happen while the rest of the world turns its back - and how this plan has still not yet achieved its ultimate goal of extermination.

The other speaker, Alan Hart, author of "Zionism: Real Enemy of the Jews" outlined how the state of Israel is not just a prison for Palestinian people, but its own worst enemy and a threat not only to peace in the Middle East but also worldwide. He advocated the need for Palestinians both in Palestine and throughout the world to form an organisation to exert political pressure on all the governments of the world, and especially America.

He also gave examples of how the level of oppression exerted by the Zionist state on Palestinians was resulting in dehumanising Jewish people in Israel and in contrast how Palestinian people, despite their oppression, were maintaining their humanity.

One example he gave was that the Israelis could bulldoze a Palestinian house and the family would pick up their bits and pieces and sit down and offer you a cup of tea.

This strength and humanity was evident in abundance at the Saturday celebration. Over 1000 people spent time in the Square, many of whom were Palestinians, at some point over the course of the afternoon.

A constant core of 500 people watched the performers, listened to the speeches, visited the stalls and exhibitions, ate the food and marched round Manchester on the colourful and lively Parade - and best of all talked to each other and came together with a positive sense of solidarity and purpose.

Speakers included Linda Clair (Manchester PSC), Baroness Jenny Tonge (Liberal Democrat), Musheir al Farrar (Palestinian living in Sheffield), Khalid (Palestinian from Gaza), Linda Ramsden (Director of ICAHD UK) and Richard Kuper (Jews for Justice for Palestinians).

Towards the end of the afternoon we all together raised our voices in solidarity to be heard by phone link to Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. None of the Manchester zionists mobilised to spoil the event and the majority of the public approaching during the Parade were supportive and willing to engage.

All those who organised and participated in the event felt a sense that it was possible to win over civil society into supporting the Palestinian people, who are suffering the worst atrocities ever inflicted on a people.

We learnt that we win over civil society by engaging people in not only what the Palestinian people are losing but in what everyone is losing - that is, the rich history, culture and humanity of Palestine.

As was seen in South Africa, when the mass of civil society in all countries around the world take notice and demand the isolation of Israel as the pariah state it is, then the governments of the world will eventually follow. All the speakers agreed that those groups working in solidarity with the Palestinian people must keep up the pressure and recognised that events such as this were a positive way to reach out and educate people.

For more information on how the event was organised, contact Manchester Palestinian Solidarity Campaign

News and articles of interest

Here are some articles and news reports we think are worth looking at

Poll of polls shows Labour at its most unpopular since 1935 by Nigel Morris
Gordon Brown is leading Labour to its worst electoral defeat since the 1930s, according to a new "poll of polls" for The Independent. On current levels of support, Labour would lose almost half its MPs at the next election and David Cameron would become Prime Minister with an overwhelming majority. The backlash against Labour has left the party with the support of just 27 per cent of voters, the weighted average of last month's polls for The Independent shows.

Unmanned spy planes to police Britain by Kim Sengupta
The Government is drawing up plans to use unmanned "drone" aircraft currently deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan to counter terrorism and aid police operations in Britain. The MoD is carrying out research and development to enable the spy planes, which are equipped with highly sophisticated monitoring equipment that allows them to secretly track and photograph suspects without their knowledge, to be deployed within three years.

The Camp for Climate Action, at Kingsnorth, Kent, 3rd to 11th August - full details
Wednesday 10 am update. Local MP Bob Marshall-Andrews condems police action at climate camp (see BBC article), saying "I find the use of police in riot gear incomprehensible and I think it was a mistake." He also described the actions of the police as "provocation."

Diego Garcia: the UK's shame by Andy Worthington
The ancient Greek dramatist Aeschylus wrote: "In war, truth is the first casualty." These words are particularly apt in relation to the British Overseas Territory of Diego Garcia, leased to the United States in 1971, where the truth – that a secret "War on Terror" prison existed from 2002 until as recently as 2006 – has been persistently denied by both the British and American governments.

The Horror Of Israeli Occupation - documentary developed by Chaim Yavin West Bank Checkpoints
A video clip that dramatically portrays the meeting of Israeli solders and Palestinians at controversial West Bank security checkpoints. This clip is the second of a series taken from "Land of the Settlers", the acclaimed documentary developed by Chaim Yavin, Israel's premier news anchor.

Anger at police raid on green camp ahead of coal protest by Matthew Taylor
Environmental campaigners and politicians criticised the police last night after around 200 officers raided a climate camp, seizing hundreds of items that they claimed could be used to break the law. Activists at the camp, which starts today with a series of workshops on sustainable energy and social justice, said the raid aimed to disrupt legitimate protest.

Morning Star Back on Track After Office Fire by Tomasz Pierscionek
In the early hours of Monday morning (last week), an electrical fire broke out at William Rust House, the East London office of the socialist newspaper the Morning Star. The fire, believed to have been caused by a malfunctioning air-conditioner, broke out at approximately 3am and caused considerable structural damage to both the interior of the Morning Star's newsroom and the equipment within, knocking out both electrical power and phone lines.

Venezuela Bridges Diplomatic Fissures and Polishes Alliances in European Tour by James Suggett
Rounding off a diplomatic tour of Europe that began with Tuesday's controversial visit in Russia, Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez mended relations with the Spanish government, set up a bi-national commerce commission with Portugal, and eliminated visa requirements to facilitate bilateral accords with Belarus this week.

Why David Cameron Blames the Poor by Peter Taylor-Gooby
David Cameron's 'blaming the poor' speech in Glasgow may be more than just an attempt to placate the unreconstructed right of the Conservative party. It is not often recognised how far British public opinion has shifted towards a liberal individualist stance on social issues in recent years. In some ways we are more Thatcherite under New Labour than we ever were under the Conservatives.

Star names set to top the bill at Carnegie Festival - Dunfermline Press
TWO of the best-known faces on television will be making personal appearances in Dunfermline next month as part of the inaugural Carnegie Festival, from 21st August to 7th September. Evan Davis will be in dialogue with fiesty MP George Galloway in a conversation on Saturday, 23rd August, at 7.30pm in the Carnegie Hall. Tickets, priced £5, are available from the Carnegie Hall box office.

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