Full info on the night can be found here;
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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.
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