VANCOUVER: EMERGENCY CALL TO ACTION Facebook Event
Tomorrow hundreds of Israeli settlers will participate in the Zionist March of Flags to taunt and attack Palestinian neighbourhoods. Historically, this march has seen settlers chant “Death to Arabs” and swarmed Occupied Jerusalem, attacking Palestinians. In response, Palestinians are calling on us to mobilize to protect the Occupied Jerusalem community. We are calling for a day of rage in Vancouver to defend Al-Aqsa Mosque and to stand with Palestinians fighting settler violence.Bring your kuffiyehs and masks, and be ready to march from the Vancouver Art Gallery, right near the Hornby and Georgia intersection, as not to disrespect the Indigenous vigil on the steps in front of Robson Square.This event is taking place on the unceded and occupied territories of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) and xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) peoples. The organizers stand in full solidarity and support of Indigenous sovereignty and self-determination and with the ongoing movements to defend land, water and Indigenous peoples from plunder and settler colonialism.
Organized by: BDS Vancouver – Coast Salish Territories Canada Palestine Association Queers Against Israeli Apartheid Vancouver Palestinian Youth Movement (PYM)- حركة الشباب الفلسطيني Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network
URGENT UPDATE: New information shows that the Zim-operated ship was delayed and will now dock at the Vancouver harbour port on Tuesday, June 8. So grab your mask and keffiyeh and gather June 8 at 3 pm at Woodland Park. ** We strongly urge everyone to get all updates and news by texting your name to 1-833-590-1987 **
(#BlockTheBoat Vancouver Action, June 8)(Marching to the Vancouver Port, June 8)
And bravo to Oakland that on Friday held a successful #BlockTheBoat action, forcing the Zim-operated ship to finally leave the harbour without unloading. Our campaigns and organizing are working: Israeli Apartheid not welcome in Vancouver Port! FB Event Page
(Oakland community picket to Block The Boat June 4)
For the past 10 days, the threat of the #BlockTheBoat protest organized in the Bay Area has kept a cargo ship operated by ZIM – apartheid Israel’s largest and oldest shipping company – from docking at the Port of Oakland. We are winning! Our people power is working, and sending a clear message that Israel’s ongoing settler-colonialism, occupation, and violence against the Palestinian people will come with a heavy price. Every hour that ZIM cargo ships remain undocked and unloaded is a huge victory, as it means that the apartheid state of Israel is losing enormous amounts of money. Here in Vancouver, we are responding to an international call to action to BLOCK THE BOAT here at the Port of Vancouver as well! Learn more about #BlockTheBoat at https://blocktheboat.org
Let’s send a clear message: Israeli apartheid is not welcome at Vancouver’s ports! ** Because shipping times and docks can always change, it’s important to be organized and ready to block the boat! Text your name to +1-833-590-1987 to make sure you stay in the loop! **
The sale of wines from illegal Israeli settlements in BC and Canadian liquor stores has been an ongoing travesty for over a decade; there is no better place for the NDP to implement its new policy to end “all trade and economic cooperation with illegal settlements in Israel-Palestine”.
Today, we sent a letter to the Finance Minister in the BC NDP government, calling for action to finally be taken on this issue. In September 2018, thirty-one organizations already told the BC government: “We do not wish to be made complicit in these violations of international law.”
We are following up on our previous letter to BC Attorney General, David Eby, who was at that time responsible for the Liquor Distribution Branch, regarding the stocking of illegal Israeli settlement wines in our public liquor stores. We are corresponding with you as the Minster of Finance, as we understand the BCLDB is now under your jurisdiction.
Since our letter to Mr. Eby (that was neither acknowledged nor answered), and further to the concerns presented by a Feb. 10, 2020 community delegation that were also disregarded, there have been several developments to which we would like to draw your, and your government’s, attention.
On Jan. 12, 2021, Israel’s leading human rights organisation, B’Tselem issued a report under the title: “A regime of Jewish supremacy from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea: This is apartheid”.
On Mar. 3, 2021, ICC Prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda confirmed “the initiation by the Office of the Prosecutor (”Office”) of the International Criminal Court (”ICC” or the ”Court”) of an investigation respecting the Situation in Palestine. The investigation will cover crimes within the jurisdiction of the Court …”
On April 10, 2021, the NDP convention adopted the Palestine Resolution that called for:
Ending all trade and economic cooperation with illegal settlements in Israel-Palestine
Suspending the bilateral trade of all arms and related materials with the State of Israel until Palestinian rights are upheld.
These are all further proof that by carrying Israeli wines produced in the Palestinian occupied territories, you are complicit in the crime of Apartheid.
Further, as noted multiple times in our previous correspondence with your government, carrying these illegal settlement wines produced in the Palestinian occupied territories also means you are violating International Law and the Fourth Geneva Convention (article 33 Paragraph 2), regarding the pillaging of occupied territories.
We also expect from your NDP government to now abide by the NDP convention resolution on Palestine that called for “Ending all trade and economic cooperation with illegal settlements”. We would like to remind you that over 80% of the NDP delegates voted for the Palestine resolution; these are the same delegates who represent many of the people who elected your government in B.C. and will be waiting to see if NDP officials in power will respect the wishes of the party’s grassroots.
We also remind you again of the Federal Court ruling that “product of Israel” labels from wines made in the West Bank, in the occupied Palestinian territories, are “false, misleading and deceptive”.
The time is over for stonewalling and ignoring our correspondence; your government’s handing of this issue is a grave reflection on your disregard for morality and humanity.
Hanna Kawas,
Chairperson, Canada Palestine Association
c.c. BC Premier John Horgan NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh
On March 16, CPA activists joined with BDS Vancouver – Coast Salish Territories and Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network to deliver a message to the consulate of France in Vancouver and to show solidarity with Olivia Zémor! Olivia is being sued by the Israeli pharmaceutical giant, TEVA, and is charged with calling for a boycott of the company. The verdict in her trial is expected in mid-May. Background info here: CAPJPO EuroPalestine pour le procès d’Olivia Zémor face à TEVA ! (Photos) – CAPJPO EuroPalestine
Check out our Boycott Teva-Apartheid is Bad Medicine FB page for more resources on why all consumers should ask their pharmacist for another brand of generic drug.
Canada Palestine Association and BDS Vancouver were busy in 2020 with both on-line and in-person events and campaigns. We had demos and rallies to reject “The Theft of the Century” and Israeli annexation. We supported Palestinian prisoners campaigns, commemorated Nakba72 and called out the CBC for its attempts to erase “Palestine”. Our BDS actions targeted Israeli wines, HP and Puma. The #BoycottPuma campaign closed out the year with a bang, and was linked to our Make your Holidays Apartheid-Free solidarity videos. We are proud of all the work done by our strictly volunteer-run committees, that rely solely on the dedication of their activist base. Next year in a Free Palestine!
