On Saturday, July 13, 2024, members and former members of Samidoun chapters across Europe participated in a webinar organized by the Anti-Repression Committee of the Masar Badil, the Palestinian Alternative Revolutionary Path Movement. Comrades from Germany, France, Belgium, Spain, Catalonia and the Netherlands discussed examples of state repression targeting the Palestinian liberation movement, especially the Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network and the Masar Badil, and in particular open political support for the Palestinian armed resistance.
The conversation addressed various local examples of repression as well as common reasons and strategies for challenging repression. The conversation was led by Thomas Hofland of Samidoun Netherlands; Zaid Abdulnasser, formerly of Samidoun Germany (prior to the ban imposed on Samidoun) spoke about the severe repression targeting Palestinians in Germany, while Mohammed Khatib, coordinator of Samidoun in Europe, discussed the situation in Belgium as well as his own case, as he has been targeted by the Belgian minister of immigration, attempting to remove his asylum status (despite being born a Palestinian refugee in Lebanon) due to his political activity.
Adel of Samidoun Paris discussed the battle against various forms of repression in France and the popular mobilization there, while Judit of Samidoun in the Spanish State and the Masar Badil discussed multiple situations in Spain, connecting repressive actions to the arms trade with the Zionist regime. Mariam of Samidoun Barcelona spoke about repression in Catalonia, including the surveillance and arrest of multiple activists, while Lyra of Samidoun Netherlands spoke about the increasing right-wing repression in the Netherlands, especially the attacks on the student encampments for Palestine.
A lively discussion followed their initial presentations, about the reasons and interests behind this repression, their connection to repression against other movements, and how we can build a movement to confront and challenge it as part and parcel of our organizing for the liberation of Palestine.
Watch the video above and at this link: https://odysee.com/@samidounnetwork:d/Repression-Webinar-EN:7