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    • Statement of solidarity with the people of Palestine
    Published at 17 October 2023
    Written by Varia
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    Statement of solidarity with the people of Palestine

    Like many people around the world we are witnessing the genocide perpetrated against the Palestinian population with the complicity of the world's most powerful countries. We want to state our unambiguous solidarity with the Palestinian population, and acknowledge the suffering of all the people caught in the siege.

    We remain open to requests from people who would like to use our space to organise events or coordinate support.

    We have compiled a list of concrete actions that can help Palestinians

    1. Inform yourself, verify claims, reflect

    It might appear like an obvious one but it remains the best way to counter colonial propaganda. Elements of language currently used against Palestinians have already been used against other brutally oppressed populations. Acquiring knowledge about the history of Palestine, its colonisation, the emergence of Zionism, European colonial history, the Nakba and apartheid policies (this list isn’t exhautive) is one of the best ways to counter colonial narratives being fed to us in Western Europe. We have added a list of resources at the bottom of this page.

    2. Speak up

    Speak about it around you, share reports from NGOs and amplify the voices of organisations. A genocide is happening right under our eyes and we are way beyond times of “this is too complicated to have the full picture”. While X (formerly known as Twitter) censors Palestinian public figures, YouTube is relaying Israeli war messages and Instagram is shadow banning accounts relaying Palestinian voices, it is important to increase efforts to counter mainstream media. Of course speaking should not be reduced to social media activism; speak with friends, family, colleagues or neighbours about what is happening. Note that the booklet 'Freedom within reach' by the Palestinian Feminist Collective has tips on how to open up discussions [see the bottom of this page].

    3. BOYCOTT DIVEST SANCTION

    The Boycott Divestment Sanctions (BDS) movement is aimed to pressure the Israeli colonial state to respect international law. BDS fights for the end of the withdrawal from occupied Arab territories, the removal of the wall in the West Bank, full equality for the Palestinian citizens of Israel and to promote the rights of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes.

    More information specific to the Netherlands here: https://bdsnederland.nl/ And if you don't read Dutch, here is a list of what brands and goods to boycott: https://bdsmovement.net/get-involved/what-to-boycott

    4. Occupy public space

    Join protests. Organisations such as Palestijnse gemeeenschap communicate regularly about upcoming demonstration dates in the Netherlands.

    5. Mobilise your own organisations, media, companies, etc.

    Depending on the structure you are part of, you can work towards a collective declaration of support. You can also stop buying/selling Israeli products (see point number 3).

    6. Financial support

    We put this one last because it seems that nothing can go into Gaza at the moment. The emergency right now is to stop the bombs. Once help can flow again, here is a list of trusted charities:

    A selection of resources:

    Mainstream social media has been of tremendous help in raising awareness about what is happening in Gaza. We also want to emphasise the need for alternative media platforms, not owned by companies using extractivist models, that further enable the oppression of some populations and maintain colonial power dynamics with the "Global South". The recently published 3rd issue of SomeTimes includes a joint statement by various groups involved in Counter Cloud Action, as well as a statement from Amazon and Google workers with the #NoTechForApartheid campaign, detailing more about this matter.

    The featured image is of a banner made collectively by students of the Piet Zwart Institute in Rotterdam in 2021. You can read more about its context here