2021 was a busy year for both Canada Palestine Association and BDS Vancouver, as the solidarity movement with Palestine grew in both depth and reach. The diverse base of support and unity for Palestinian rights was evidenced by the thousands of people who took to the streets in Vancouver in May/June to demand accountability from Israel and an end to Canadian complicity in Israeli war crimes. The theme of Canadian complicity ran through many of our 2021 campaigns, from demanding No Criminalization of Palestinian Advocacy by the Canadian government to exposing CBC’s outrageous “language guide” that censors the word Palestine to participating in the #IVotePalestine campaign holding Canadian politicians to account. Prisoner support and Boycott Israel actions were also a big part of our activities; boycott campaigns included Block the Boat rallies against the Israeli Zim shipping line, #BoycottPuma pickets and our signature Boycott Israeli Wines-Don’t Drink with Apartheid that has been calling out the BC government for over a decade on its war crimes profiteering.
We are strong believers in the principles of grassroots organizing and international solidarity, and 2021 showed that groups relying on activism are the heart and soul of the Palestinian solidarity movement. Together we march towards return and liberation!
Events and Campaigns:
- Free Mohammed El-Halabi!
February 28, 2021 Twitter Storm
#Justice4ElHalabi Social media action day #2 March 14, 2021 - Boycott TEVA, Defend the Right to Boycott
March 25, 2021 - Tell Canadian Officials: Advocacy for Palestine is not ‘Terrorism’
April 5, 2021 - Nakba73: Flash Picket for Palestine
May 15, 2021
Vancouver comes out for Palestine in massive rally!
May 16, 2021 - Join us again to Stand with Palestine
Vigil/Rally to be followed by March
May 22, 2021 - Join us again to Stand with Palestine
Car Rally
May 24, 2021 - Block the Boat Vancouver
June 8, 2021 - Vancouver Day of Rage: Defend Jerusalem
June 15, 2021 - SAVE SILWAN: VANCOUVER
July 3, 2021 - Boycott Tour, July 18, Vancouver
July 18, 2021 - Palestine Solidarity: An Inter-Generational Dialogue
August 3, 2021 - Aug. 14 Webinar: Canada’s Complicity in Palestinian Dispossession
Canada’s Complicity in Palestinian Dispossession
August 16, 2021 - #IVotePalestine
August 28, 2021 - #BoycottPuma Picket in Vancouver
September 17, 2021 - Write letter: Canadians calling on Puma to end its sponsorship of the Israel Football Association
September 18, 2021 - Palestine Action Week in Vancouver
Boycott Tour and March
October, 6, 2021 - Free Georges Abdallah! Free Palestine Protest in Vancouver!
October 16, 2021 - Boycott Israeli Wines: New Article and Video
November 8, 2021
Vancouver Calendar of Events: AllOut4Palestine: - New Art Exhibit on Gaza coming to Vancouver
November 24 – 27, 2021 - International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People
November 29, 2021 - Asian Labour: Local and Global Solidarity Building
Dec.1, 2021 - Film showing of Fedayin: Georges Abdallah, postponed.
UBC postpones film showing due to Zionist meddling
December 2nd, 2021 - Liberation Cafe: Freedom for our Prisoners
We Stand Together
December 5, 2021 - International Day for Human Rights Action
Dec. 10, 2021
CPA Statements:
- CBC still mulling over its anti-Palestinian bias
January 6, 2021 - Anti-Arab racism has deep roots in Canada/Le racisme anti-arabe a des racines profondes au Canada
January 16, 2021 - Indigenous activist Lee Maracle on CBC erasure of Palestine
by: Lee Maracle, January 26 - Canada’s Hypocrisy on the ICC and Palestine
February 9, 2021 - Canadian complicity: Is ICC serving justice or Western interests?
February 16, 2021 - CBC Ombudsman says apology “unwise”, but anti-Palestinian language guide is “reasonable”
March 8, 2021 - Political Advocacy and National Liberation are not “Terrorism”
March 22, 2021 - #NoIHRA and the Hypocrisy of the Zionist Lobby
April 13, 2021 - Open Letter : Time to respect NDP Policy, Don’t make B.C. complicit in Israeli war crimes!
April 19, 2021 - Letter to Transport Minister Omar Alghabra: Israeli Apartheid Not Welcome in Canadian Ports #BlocktheBoat
June 15, 2021 - In Memory of Betty Beeching
August 12, 2021 - Canadian company financing Israel-UAE collaboration
October 3, 2021 - In Memory of Lee Maracle
November 11, 2021 - UAE Normalizing with Israeli War Crimes
November 18, 2021 - In Solidarity with Indigenous Land Defenders
November 20, 2021 - Don’t make us complicit in war crimes!
December 13, 2021
Articles:
- CBC still reviewing why it deleted the word ‘Palestine’
Mondoweiss, January 8, 2021 - Canada’s hypocrisy serves to shield Israeli war crimes
Mondoweiss, February 11, 2021 - ‘Do not refer to Palestine or show a map with Palestine as a country’ — the CBC’s Orwellian rules
Mondoweiss, March, 9, 2021 - Palestinian advocacy is not ‘terrorism’
Mondoweiss, March, 23, 2021 - The fight continues after Israel lobby staves off IHRA debate at NDP convention
Mondoweiss, April 14, 2021 - Continuing Nakba, continuing resistance
Mondoweiss, May 20, 2021 - Message to Trudeau government: Honor human rights — block Zim from Canadian ports
Mondoweiss, June 18, 2021 - UAE company cracks down on ‘Block the Boat’ picket line in Canada
Mondoweiss, June 28, 2021 - Boycott beyond the Settlements!
Mondoweiss, July 29, 2021 - Canadian Complicity in Israeli War Crimes: Electoral Politics
Al Mayadeen English, September 7, 2021 - Canadian company financing Israel-UAE collaboration
Mondoweiss, October 1, 2021 - Don’t Drink with Apartheid: From South Africa to Palestine!
Al Mayadeen English, November 6, 2021 - UAE profiteering off Israeli war crimes
Mondoweiss, November 17, 2021
Interviews & Webinars:
- Tarik Kiani interviews CPA Chairperson Hanna Kawas
June 27, 2021 - Palestine Solidarity: An Inter-Generational Dialogue
August 3, 2021 - Canada’s complicity in Palestinian dispossession
August 15, 2021 - Gurpreet Singh Interview with CPA Chairperson on I Vote Palestine campaign
Aug 27, 2021 - Hanna Kawas on Boycott of Miss Universe Pageant in Israel
December 20, 2021
Social Media:
CPA Facebook pages:
(all likes are generated organically; on principle, we refuse to pay FB for ads or for posts promotions)
- Canada Palestine Association (Over 6035 likes)
- BDS Vancouver – Coast Salish Territories (Over 1025 likes)
- Stop G4S in Canada – Boycott and Divest from G4S (Over 500 likes)
- Boycott Israeli Wines – Don’t Drink with Apartheid (Over 1665 likes)
- Boycott TEVA – Apartheid is BAD Medicine (Over 540 likes)
CPA Facebook groups:
- Canada Palestine Association (Over 3555 members)
- Voice of Palestine صوت فلسطين (Over 1835 members)
- Air Canada: We are not On-Board with Human Rights Violations (Over 765 members)
Follow us on Twitter:
BDS Vancouver/Canada Palestine Association (1,055 Followers)