Bogside Week of Solidarity with Iraq & Palestine Continues Saturday and Sunday
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Friday January 28, 2005 23:54
by Shane OCurry - Pat Finucane Centre / Bloody Sunday Week End Committee
pfc at iol dot ie
www.serve.com/pfc
Bloody Sunday Memorial Service at the Bloody Sunday Monument, Sunday at 11.30am Sharp
Complete Events Listings Here
Community activists paint the Palestinian colours onto Free Derry Wall, an internationally recognised symbol of popular resistance to imperialism, in preparation for two panel discussions. The first, scheduled for this thursday evening and entitled "from the Bogside to Basra" will feature Dr Abdul Al-Jibouri, an Iraqi scientist living in Derry, as well as Eddy Cherry, a former British soldier and war resister. The second, to be held on Saturday, entitled "At a Cross Roads", is a comparative discussion about the road blocks on the road maps to peace in Palestine and Ireland respectively. The speakers are Dr Jamal Zahalka, a Palestinian member of the Israeli Knesset (parliament) and Mitchel McLaughlin, MLA, chairperson of Sinn Féin. (details of both events below )
"From Bogside to Basra": A Panel Discussion with;
Eddy Cherry, a former British Soldier, stationed in Derry in the early 90’s and now a leading member of ‘Ex Soldiers Against The War’,
Dr Abdul Al-Jibouri an Iraqi scientist, living in Derry
Paul O’Connor, Coordinator of The Pat Finucane Centre, Derry.
7.00 - 8.30 pm at The Gasyard Centre Thursday 27 Jan, followed by screening of Divine Intervention (see programme)
We have often heard British media coverage of the war in Iraq refer to the superiority of the British Army to the task (when compared with the US Army) “because of their unique experience in Northern Ireland.” This tells us how effective the mainstream media’s reporting of the British Army’s role here has been in airbrushing out, or putting to one side, the many incidents that reveal them as an oppressive occupying power as opposed to the peacekeeping force they portrayed themselves as being.
So it is fitting, as they again cast themselves as peacekeepers in Iraq, cynically exploiting that ‘unique experience’ here, that the city that suffered Bloody Sunday should use our experience of occupation to critically reflect on what we’ve learned and use this to both better understand the plight of the peoples of Iraq and what we can do to support them here. Clearly for example, recent revelations of what the British Army have been at inside detention centres in Basra, has strong echoes of Palace Barracks, Belfast in the early 1970’s.
To focus the discussion through the lens of Bloody Sunday and Fallujah where 13 civilians where shot dead by US Paratroopers at a peaceful protest on 30th April 2003 This event will open with a short 15 minute documentary on ‘The Siege of Fallujah’. This will be followed by three contrasting perspectives from our guest speakers before being opened up to the floor.
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"At A Cross Roads"
Palestine & Ireland - Road Maps & Road Blocks to Peace
Venue: Calgach Centre
Date: Saturday 29th January 05
Time: 7.30pm
Speaker from Palestine: Dr Jamal Zahalka.
Dr Zahalka is a Palestinian MP who sits in the Israeli Knesset.
Dr Zahalka has been centrally involved in the struggle for truth and justice around Israel’s own Bloody Sunday against the Palestinian people.
As Palestinians living inside Israel came out onto the streets in support of their comrades staging of a second intifada in the occupied territories, the Israeli police force opened fire shooting 13 people dead. Since that day in October 2000 Jamal Zahalka has been working closely with the families of the dead in their efforts to take a legal case against the Israeli police force and its government.
Dr Zahalka will speak on life as a Palestinian living inside Israel, on Israel’s murderous occupation of Palestinian land and its ruthless response to Palestinian resistance through its intifada. He will also speak on the current situation and the future direction for the peace process following the tragic death of President Arafat and the election of Mahmoud Abbas as the new leader of the Palestinian people.
Also speaking will be Mitchel McLaughlin, MLA, Chairperson of Sinn Féin.
for a full timetable of week's events see:
http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=68298
men at work copyleft daisy mules
man finished copyleft daisy mules
Free Derry copyleft daisy mules
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Comments (27 of 27)
Jump To Comment: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27Good to see the Palestinian issue being highlighted in such an imaginative way.
I also note that artists of varying descriptions are extremely busy in Derry this time of year.
The run up to the Bloody Sunday commemoration also sees the now traditional Derry game of cat and mouse between Bogsides republican youth and Sinn Feins doctors of spin.
This is were the spinners run frantically around the route of the march obliterating republican slogans which are opposed to the GFA and in support of republican POWs. They have even been seen painting out the slogans in full view of marchers.
A Derry colleague has just informed me that Sinn Fein pro Colm Barton is determined to win this battle of wits with the bogsides youth and has started early. As I speak Mr Barton is obliterating an anti-PSNI slogan, this very minute in fact. Extraordinary.
It's a bit sad Barry takes one line to highlight all the positive events around the Bloody Sunday Commemoration then uses 3 or 4 paragraphs to grossly exaggerate and distort the issue of cleaning up the route of the march. Readers should know that all graffiti is removed whether it's pro- or anti- agreement or just anti-social.
Congrats to all the community activists who are cleaning up the area and getting rid of graffitti. Regardless of what it says, most graffitti looks awful and makes the area look as if no one cares about it. Thankfully most of the pavement painting is gone now as well and seems to be the preserve of loyalist areas only. and they're welcome to it.
Murals on the other hand look excellent and look like a bit of thought went into them. Indymedia regularly has threads on so called 'Street Art' which in reality is lazy spraypainting and graffitti, why don't these street artists come north have a look around and make somthing attractive instead?
I think you are too quick to dismiss the street art documented by noise hacker etc. There is no recent culture or tradition of mural painting in Dublin as far back as i can remember and I suspect anyone launching into a bout of it would end up arrested. I personally in the past have been arrested simply for flypostering in Dublin for a DIY rock and roll show - something that nobody virtually bothers to risk nowadays. From my trips to belfast recently I really note the healthier use of walls and other spaces in comparison to dublin. It's obvious that there is a very lively diy youth culture and signs of a healthy diverse political culture going on. Dublin streets by comparison feel sterile and are without exception reserved for corporate advertising.
This is why I like a lot of the 'grafitti and spraypainting' - they are designed to be done quickly and surreptitiously - unlike the murals in various areas of belfast and derry - which it seems to me - are usually if not always done with community consent providing protection for the artistes. Within the 'drive- b'y limitations some are amazing - the stencil version of a really famous diane arbus photo being my favourite on todays thread.
On that note it would be lovely if any unionists loyalists nationalists republicans chinese etc involved or interested in northern murals would use this site here as a way of spreading the art around.
Yon will see a truly titanic mural, with an Israeli flag no doubt, shouting at passers by; Yon now entereth the Holy Temple of Waterside, twin town to Tel Aviv. Arggh, read the Bible. Today.'
Barry, thanks for the plug, never thought i would have the privilege of appearing on indymedia but sure there you go.
As to the painting sorry to burst your bubble but the removal of the graffiti in and around Dove Gardens and Durrow Park, in which i particpated was carried out alongside local residents and with the agreement of the local republican youth, with whom we discussed its removal. Sadly for yourself not a SF project at all.
Glad you liked Free Derry Wall, just for your information i'm the small round bloke on the left.
While I was a little cheeky there Im actually very glad to see the Palestinian issue recieve such coverage. Congratulations to all involved.
Body of Hamas militant found in Gaza 09/02/2005 - 14:00:31
A Palestinian man has been found dead outside the Khan Younis refugee camp in the southern Gaza.
The body of Hassan Alami, a Hamas militant, was discovered near the Gush Katif settlement enclave with his arms blown off and bad burns on his face and chest, Palestinian doctors said.
Witnesses said they did not hear the sound of Israeli tank shells or missiles in the area, leading to speculation that Alami may have been killed trying to plant an explosive device near the settlements.
Hamas said he was killed in a “work accident” meaning he was either building a bomb or trying to plant one.
They did not provide more details.
pity there wasnt half a dozen zionists standing around him at the time.
Is this a joke?
What Zionists would you have in mind Barry? How about some women and kids? The Hamas "heroes" specialise in murdering them.
One less terrorist scumbag for the IDF to worry about...hope his "workplace accident" was of a very long duration.
'pity there wasnt half a dozen zionists standing around him at the time'
I think that's worth repeating, ladies and gentlemen.
'pity there wasnt half a dozen zionists standing around him at the time'
and one more time, for posterity.
'pity there wasnt half a dozen zionists standing around him at the time'
However, I'm sure Barry doesn't actually hate Jews.
He probably has friends who are Jews.
you 2 know that very well indeed
A zionist is a holy warrior, who thinks its alright to shoot dead little kids because theyre arabs, and steal a nations land becauser of some interpretation of biblical text from thousands of years ago.
They refer to themselves as the IDF, which I believe is a highly misleading title given their activities within the occupied areas.
For claritys sake Ill repeat myself, its a pity there wasnt a DOZEN child murdering, landgrabbing, zionist scumbags standing round him at the time.
At least you didn't call them 'bastards'.
That would be unacceptable.
"steal a nations land"
There has never been a nation called "palestine". Prior to WWI, the middle east was OCCUPIED by the OTTOMON Empire for 400 years. All of the nations in the middle east are a modern construct...
After Israel was created, Trans Jordan invaded (trans-jordan became a nation in 1947) and OCCUPIED the west bank for 20 years. Jews were cleansed from East Jerusalem, holy places were destroyed and Jews were forbidden to visit the Temple Mount...where was the "palestinian" nation?? There was none. If israel hadn't won the miraculous Six Day War, there would never even be a hope for a palestinian state. Why? Because Jordan ANNEXED the territory, built illegal settlements and peopled the region with Jordanians...
Those poor people dont really exist then. Just a figment of my imagination. Phew !!
"Those poor people dont really exist then. Just a figment of my imagination. Phew !!"
Here's a clue for you:
Ariel Sharon is a palestinian, being born in the region called "palestine" so named by the Romans after the 200 year Jewish Wars.
The dearly departed Yasser Arafat on the other hand was an Egyptian...being born in Egypt.
Arab "palestinians" didn't come into existence until after the Six Day War. The majority of people called "palestinians" arrived in the region from the other 22 arab nations looking for work IN ISRAEL after the creation of Israel. Most still hold Jordanian passports.
By the way...80% of Jordan is "palestinian" alas..."palestine" is currently OCCUPIED by the Hashemites...(that's why the PLO tried to overthrow the Kingdom, resulting in the slaughter of 20,000 "palestinians"-Black September)
The people who arrived in Palestine from elsewhere are not the Palestinians. British census figures show the population of the British protectorate before the Balfour declaration was only 10% Jewish, ie 90% of untermenshen who obviously dont count for you and your Zionist excusnik buddies were Muslims, Christians, Druze and other minorities. The Jewish "majority" arrived subsequently in waves of colonisation, paid for by the Jewish diaspora in Europe and America and the colonisation continues as we speak in violation of every International law in the book.
"The people who arrived in Palestine from elsewhere are not the Palestinians."
Tell that to them, and they'll blow you up!! Even Yasser claimed to be a palestinian although he was actually an Egyptian...they still hold jordanian passports, which in effect makes them Jordanians...
I said that the vast majority of those who arrived in Palestine since the Balfour declaration are Zionist colonists who hold US, European, Russian and former Eastern Block as well as Middle Eastern and even African passports.
The Americans and Jewish Disapora have funded the continued ethnic cleansing of Palestine and subsequent plantation of ethnically cleansed lands with settlers, many of whom are not even practicing Jews but economic migrants keen to cash in on funding provided through the Israeli government.
In summary you better think again if you expect sane people to believe a Zionist rent-a-mob of beligerent squatters has any right to dispossess and brutalise Palestinians who wish to live in peace on their own land.
economic migrants taking advantage of a Government's overly generous policy at the expense of an indigenous people ...............................................................mnnnn now where would that remind you of??? oh yes, here! Except indymedia just loves the migrants that come here under false pretenses!
The Zionist colonists are being used as the shock-troops for the Israeli rights lebensraum strategy, stealing occupied Palestinian lands using funding from the Jewish diaspora and the American government.
These people create a long term burden to the Israeli state both economically and in terms of diminished security and poor political and economic relations with Israels neighbours. It is arguable that the economic and social chaos in Israel is largely the result of this same expansionist strategy.
In the case of migrants to Ireland these people are coming to Ireland to contribute to our economy and not to steal from anybody, enriching Ireland both culturally and economically.
"continued ethnic cleansing of Palestine"
What hyperbole!! If that's the case, the Israelis are really poor at ethnic cleanising...there are millions of "palestinians" in the west bank and Gaza, as well as 1 million plus Arab citizens of Israel.
If ethnic cleansing of palestinians is truly your concern, then you should be protesting in front of the Kuwaiti Embassy...after all, they cleansed the kingdom in one fell swoop! 1/2 million "palestinians" ethnically cleansed in 1992. But, I suspect your concern is less about ethnic cleansing and more about your hatred of Jews.
Concerned about the "occupation"? What of the REAL brutal Military OCCUPATION of Lebanon-30 years worth? What's that you say? The Syrians aren't Jews so it's no roblem?
The Israelis are every bit as guilty as the Syrians as far as the situation in the Lebanon is concerned. And let's not forget the Shabra and Shatilla massacres of Palestinians and gross human rights violations and torture carried out by Israel and her proxies.
By the way your IDF goons and their proxies also killed 50 Irish peace-keeping troops which apart from our obvious sympathy with the underdog would naturally lead us to sympathise with the Arabs and not you.
Perhaps it slipped your mind that we were subjected to 800 years of racial and religious persecution, ethnic cleansing and genocide etc. but we avoid using it as an excuse to mistreat others, so take your hectoring elsewhere.
"The Israelis are every bit as guilty as the Syrians as far as the situation in the Lebanon is concerned. And let's not forget the Shabra and Shatilla massacres of Palestinians and gross human rights violations and torture carried out by Israel and her proxies. "
The PLO entered lebanon after a failed attempt at overthrowing the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. 20,000 palestinians were massacred by Jordan. once in lebanon, the PLO started attacking unarmed Christian villages. Damour is a perfect example of what was happening. Thousands of Christian Arabs were killed by the PLO. Sabra Shatilla was payback for their crimes, and the perpetrators were the lebanese Christian Phalange.
Syria has brutally OCCUPIED Lebanon for 30 years.
So, we see how it is, Syria OCCUPIES a nation, and it's the Israeli's fault...too bloody much...
I have no issue with the Lebanese people trying to free themselves from occupation as Hezbollah did by kicking out the brutal Israeli occupiers and their SLA proxy war-criminals who are currently being protected from international justice by Israel.
I'm sure the Lebanese don't need any "help" from the Israelis and/or Americans in freeing themselves from the Syrians as they've already shown by kicking out a far more sophisticated Israeli invasion force.
The number of Syrian troops in Lebanon numbers about 15,000, or the same strength as the British occupation in the north of Ireland. If 400-500 IRA members could fight 15,000 Brits to a standstill, given the capabilities of Hezbollah they would have no difficulty in ejecting poorly armed and trained Syrians.
The real question is why they haven't if the oppression is SO brutal?
I think the real issue is the Israelis and US are actually cooking up a pretext to re-invade Lebanon as the Israelis don't like the fact Hezbollah can fly Iranian spy drones into Israeli air space!!!!
The yanks and Israelis have also been hard at work trying to implicate Hezbollah in funding freedom fighters in Gaza and the West Bank, again preparing the ground for a ground invasion of Lebanon on a yet to be specified pretext.
"I have no issue with the Lebanese people trying to free themselves from occupation as Hezbollah did by kicking out the brutal Israeli occupiers"
Hezbollah is currently OCCUPYING southern Lebanon, supported by Syria and Iran. Israel did not leave Lebanon because of Hezbollah...the palestinian monsters were ejected from Lebanonafter slaughtering thousands of Chrisitan Lebanese. Mobody is planning to invade lebanon...Syria however , because of the OCCUPATION of Lebanon...over 30 years...and it's support for terrorists such as Hamas and PFLP...is quite another story. Syria has also served as an entry point for Mujahadeen and their pan-arab quest...
Hizbollah are a Lebanese organisation, which make up 25% of the Lebanese parlament. How can they be occupying their own country when they are Lebanese and they were formed in 1982 with the express goal of kicking the Israelis out. A goal which they achieved when the Israelis left when they could no longer bear the losses from daily attacks by Hizbollah freedom fighters. The Israeli explanation at the time was "mission accomplished" or words to that effect! Sure they got help from the Iranians, big deal! They would have taken help from the devil himself to liberate their country from Israeli torturers and their proxies, and rightly so!