Campaigns

On the Ground Reports and Published Articles from February 25th Events Around the World

Israel/Palestine

Hebron On the afternoon of February 25, about 300 Palestinian, Israeli, and International activists met at the Hebron municipality where they made posters, distributed t-shirts and hats, and spoke with media personnel before they began the march towards Shuhada Street in Hebron. The protesters marched in the rain waving flags, linking arms, and chanting slogans in Arabic, Hebrew, and English. The protesters remained true to their commitment to nonviolence, yet they were met by a very heavy army presence which was quick to deploy harsh crowd dispersal techniques that included a heavy amount of tear gas and stun grenades. The tear gas canisters were fired from all directions, often coming very close to hitting people. A few elderly protesters fainted and were evacuated by ambulance. Protestors scattered and ran to avoid the tear gas, but the army appeared to be surrounding the protest and shooting from all angles. The army continually tried to push the protesters further back by creating a human wall and physically pushing the protesters who, in response, formed their own wall to withstand the pressure. Three Israelis were picked out the crowd at random, taken away by the police and detained temporarily. One international activist was arrested and then released several hours later. The clashes between the military, police, protesters, and a few notorious settlers continued for about an hour and 45 minutes until a final barrage of tear gas caused everyone to retreat.

See
http://palsolidarity.org/2010/02/11549

http://theonlydemocracy.org/2010/02/a-closed-street-opens-a-door-to-a-gl...

http://mondoweiss.net/2010/02/global-movement-joins-hebron-protest-to-op...

http://www.alternativenews.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article...

http://blip.tv/file/3285712

http://theonlydemocracy.org/2010/02/on-february-25th-world-says-open-shu...

Tel Aviv Activists blocked a street in Tel Aviv to symbolize the closure of Shuhada Street in Hebron. They hung signs that read "Shuhada Street Closed for Traffic Due to an Apartheid Regime"

http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2010/02/24/18638713.php

South Africa

Cape Town: On Thursday 25th February 2010 at 13h00 students held two separate peaceful protest actions at the University of the Western Cape and the University of Cape Town. At each gathering there were about 30 students in OSS t-shirts with placards, distributing information fliers and collecting signatures for the on line petition. At UWC film clips were played showing the situation in Hebron and residents explaining the reality of Shuhada Street's closure. A drum circle was led by Alaa al-Horani, originally from Hebron himself.

At the gatherings members of OSS spent time engaging with other students, explaining the situation in Hebron, why the protest action was necessary and the nature of the 25th February Global Day of Action. At UCT there was also a need to engage with other students who had come to oppose the protest action and present counter-arguments trying to justify the closure of Shuhada Street.

On Friday 26th February at 13h00 a peaceful soidarity vigil was held outside Parliament in Cape Town, where once again 30 people gathered to protest the closure of Shuhada Street and stand in solidarity with the Palestinian residents of Hebron. Fliers and t-shirts were handed out to members of the public and signatures were collected from passersby in the street. Members of the Western Province Zionist Federation and the South African Jewish Board of Deputies came to check out the gathering, but did not join or interfere in any way.

Over the two days we were able to distribute thousands of fliers, engage many hundreds of people and collect over 500 signatures.

From these actions it has become clearer to us that there is a major need to engage with the public on these issues due to a lack of knowledge on the situation in Hebron specifically, and Israel-Palestine generally. We will be following up this campaign with a lecture series dealing with various issues relating to the Middle East conflict.

See: http://www.timeslive.co.za/opinion/article325336.ece

Port Elizabeth: In solidarity with all our friends in Hebron, students and staff members at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University in Port Elizabeth, South Africa distributed the Open Shuhada Street pamphlet between 1 and 2 pm at the Kraal/Madibaz Cafe at the University.

Prague, Czech Republic

About 25 activists from the Free Palestine collective, supported by organisations of Palestinians living in the Czech Republic, dominated a busy street in the centre of Prague on Thursday, 25 February, between 4 and 6 pm.

The action was aimed at informing the Czech public about the situation in Palestine, Hebron especially. For this purpose, the activists prepared a small exhibition of photographs depicting the daily life under the occupation in Hebron. The exhibition succeeded in drawing a lot of attention of the passers-by, who were all given a leaflet explaining a situation in Palestine and many of them stopped for a short chat. About 50 signatures were collected for the petition calling for the re-opening of Shuhada Street.

On several occasions, the Czech police prevented the activists from blocking the road, however at one point they helped to fulfill the purpose of the action themselves, when they effectively managed to set up a checkpoint using two police cars, which blocked a part of the street. They threatened to arrest one activist, but after checking his ID they informed him that an administrative fine might be issued as he didn‘t follow the orders of a police officer and continued blocking the street.

United States

Oberlin, Ohio Students for a Free Palestine brought to Oberlin, Ohio the call to reopen Shuhada Street to Palestinians. Throughout the day, SFP members tabled in the basement of the student union. We passed out pamphlets of information, spoke with students about the issue, and invited everyone to sign a petition to Netanyahu.

Dozens of people - students, faculty, and community members - attended our presentation on Shuhada Street. We spoke about this specific case in Hebron as a symbol of the entire Israeli occupation. After the presentation, we invited a member of the Dialogue Center to moderate a discussion in which audience members considered the situation, challenged their previous perceptions, and spoke about why it’s important to be aware of the occupation.

Wesleyan University (Connecticut) A group of 10 Wesleyan students blocked off the main staircase to the cafeteria in the student center during the lunch and dinner hours. We asked students to stand in solidarity with us and the Palestinians in Hebron by walking up a side staircase 20 feet away. We handed out flyers, hung posters, and showed video clips about the situation. We also had a computer set up for people to sign the petition after we explained the situation to them.

http://wesleyanargus.com/2010/03/02/usdan-blockade-raises-awareness-irri...

http://wesleyanargus.com/2010/02/26/the-open-shuhada-street-campaign/

Baltimore, Maryland On the morning of February 25th, Jews for Human Rights celebrated the Jewish Holiday of Purim with a Purim Protest Parade Against Israeli Apartheid in Pikesville, Maryland. In celebration of Purim, Jewish residents of Baltimore paraded down Reisterstown Road, wearing festive costumes with crowns, capes and signs reading “Purim Protest Parade Against Israeli Apartheid” and handing out misloach manot (gifts of candy) to pedestrians and shop patrons along the parade route. The gifts, adorned with festive Purim stickers, included a note explaining the connection between Purim and the struggle for human rights, and detailing a specific example of Israeli Apartheid policy, the closure of Shuhada Street in Hebron to Palestinians.

The group slowly crossed Reisterstown Road holding a banner reading: “Human Rights for all in Hebron,” in solidarity with Palestinians’ call for international actions highlighting the State of Israel’s Apartheid policies throughout Israel/Palestine, and commemorating the Baruch Goldstein massacre of 29 Palestinians in Hebron. Today’s actions demand the re-opening of Shuhada Street in Hebron to Palestinians and the respect of human rights for all.

http://baltimore.indymedia.org/newswire/display/20056/index.php

San Francisco, CA On Thursday evening, February 25, 2010, a group of protesters transformed San Francisco's busiest shopping district into a scene which reflected the realities of Palestinian life in Hebron in the West Bank. We closed a major street running through the financial heart of the city in hopes of raising attention of Israeli road closures and restrictions of movement that are imposed every day on Palestinians in Hebron. The blocking of major thoroughfares in the city culminated in nine arrests, after protesters holding a banner that read "Israeli Apartheid closes streets" closed off Powell Street and refused police orders to disperse. Nearby, the People of Colour Action Theatre group re-enacted apartheid separation under Israeli occupation, and disrupted business in front of flagship stores which profit from the Israeli occupation. Handing out Palestinian and Israeli "identification documents", actors playing Israeli soldiers in uniform forced "Palestinians" and "Israelis" to walk on separate sides of the barrier; often roughing up and harassing those playing Palestinians. Unsuspecting passers-by were incorporated into the theatre performance and forced to walk on one side or the other.

http://english.aljazeera.net/focus/2010/02/201022682541373685.html

Harvard Law School- Cambridge, MA On the International Day of Action to Open Shuhada Street, February 25, the student organization HLS Justice for Palestine hosted a screening of documentary film shorts at Harvard Law School about occupied Khalil/Hebron. Attendees included long-time activists as well as newcomers to the movement, from Cambridge and greater Boston. Afterwards, attendees discussed issues raised by the films, including the limited awareness of Israelis living within Israel of events in the oPt, and the limited judicial recourse for Palestinians with regard to settler violence and other violations of their rights.

Albany, Oregon We passed out 50 flyers to passersby from noon to 1 p.m. at Two Rivers Mall. When people asked what they could do, we suggested writing letters to congress and editors.

A marine told me he knew all about "these people" because he had family fighting in Afghanistan, until I told him most Palestinians weren't terrorists and asked if he knew about the human rights abuses. He said he didn't know and took the flyer. A lady said she'd spread the word at her work. A lady in the Mexican restaurant afterwards took two flyers to distribute to her friends.

Indianapolis, IN 25 people attended a presentation given by members of the Christian Peacemakers Team who had served in Hebron for several years. They showed the B'Tselem video of Issa Ammo and two friends walking down Shuhada Street after the Israeli High Court ruling that re-opened the street to Palestinians. Of course, the opening of Shuhada Street only lasted three days before the IDF, pressured by the settlers, closed it again

Corning, NY Three dedicated activists braved a snowstorm in Corning, NY to participate in the February 25th action which included watching videos about Hebron and strategizing. On February 27th, our United Methodist Task Force on Palestine met in Syracuse where we formally endorsement the Open Shuhada Street campaign and made a commitment to participate in future actions.

Milwaukee, Wisconsin Seven brave people joined together to stand with the people of Hebron on a cold and windy street corner in Milwaukee. We were proud to stand with the brave people of Palestine and hold signs that read "Open Shuhada Street: Israel Out of Palestine".

Sydney, Australia

In Leichhardt, Sydney, Australia, members of Leichhardt Friends of Hebron held a vigil on Thursday 25th February as a contribution to the world-wide action. The vigil was held on the main commercial thoroughfare of the suburb of Leichhardt and pamphlets were distributed. It was a modest but effective action.

England

London On 25th February, in concert with activists from all over the world, Jews for Justice for Palestinians gathered in London to tell people about the oppression of Palestinians in Hebron. We joined the supporters of Al Haq who filed a claim for judicial review before the High Court of England and Wales challenging the government of the United Kingdom over its failure to fulfill its obligations under international law with respect to Israel's activities in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT). We all met outside the Royal Courts in London. The Al Haq supporters had decorated the railings with Palestinian flags and banners saying Free Palestine and End the Siege of Gaza.
We came with leaflets, sandwich boards and posters with pictures of the ghost town that is now Hebron. People came from far and wide to support our call. Supporters came from all four corners of London and decked out in their sandwich boards, which said 'Open Shuhada Street' and on the back 'End this brutal occupation', we leafleted passersby and used the opportunity to tell them exactly what was happening in the prison that is Hebron.

We were photographed by Arabic Television and by freelance photographers.
After the protest outside the court ended, we went to leaflet the London School of Economics, where we were well received by all. One of our members took materials to circulate to students at Kings College London and in the evening, leaflets were circulated at Essex University.

Brighton Students from the University of Sussex organized a lecture about the situation in Palestine and in particular Hebron. We distributed the leaflets .The majority of the students signed the petition on line. We decided that we will send the petition to the ambassador of Israel in London and the British ambassador in Israel.

Edinburgh, Scotland

Our action on February 25 was definitely a success. When we arrived on the street we planned to shut down, the police were already there waiting for us. However we waited for them to leave and eventually symbolically blockaded the street at both ends for around 20 minutes before lorries barged through the barriers at one end and forced us to move! We then moved on to the main uni campus, set up a stall and gazebo and distributed 500 of the Shuhada Street pamphlets.

Dublin, Ireland

A protest by members of Irish Labour Youth and the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign was held outside the Israeli Embassy at 5.00pm to 6.00pm on the international day of action. A banner, Palestinian flags and placards highlighting the injustice of the situation in Hebron and Israel's Apartheid system were distributed along the outside of the embassy and slogans were shouted.

Berlin, Germany

About 15 people set up a sort of Shuhada Street checkpoint at Checkpoint Charlie in Berlin from 12:00 to 13:00 on Thursday, February 25, 2010. We were not allowed to block traffic on the street but instead used a megaphone and distributed flyers. Among our mostly Israeli participants there was also a group of French drummers, who livened up our action.