Podcast Ep 42: On the front lines of direct action for Palestine in conversation with activists

On episode 42, we speak with several human rights defenders who have been on the front lines of direct action to stop Israel’s crimes against Palestinians. They are just a sample of countless protestors who have taken action in support of Palestinian rights, especially after Israel’s May attacks on Gaza, which killed some 245 Palestinians in the coastal enclave, including dozens of children. In the San Francisco Bay Area, activists and longshore workers successfully prevented an Israeli-owned cargo vessel from docking and unloading at the Port of Oakland in early June. The action was part of an international wave of protests – under the banner of #BlockTheBoat – organized by the Arab Resource and Organizing Center (AROC). We speak to Wassim Hage of AROC and Aisha Mansour of the grassroots community group Falastiniyat in Seattle, Washington, which supported a protest at the port in that city. 11 participants were arrested at the Seattle action, Mansour told The Electronic Intifada. Block the Boat protests were held in British Columbia, Canada, as well. In Prince Rupert, members of the International Longshore Workers Union were punished with unpaid suspension by Dubai Ports World, which operates a terminal at the port. Dubai Ports World is owned by the Dubai government. But the suspension was reportedly rolled back, in a victory for the workers. Meanwhile, in Chicago, members of the US Palestinian Community Network (USPCN), along with local anti-racist groups, held a sit-in protest at the offices of Representative Jan Schakowsky on 10 June. The action demanded that the member of congress co-sponsor HR 2590, Defending the Human Rights of Palestinian Children and Families Living Under Israeli Military Occupation Act, a bill written and introduced by Minnesota Representative Betty McCollum. USPCN says that 25 activists “gathered in Schakowsky’s office and insisted that she sign on to the bill, which would place conditions on US aid to Israel so that it could not be used to imprison children, demolish Palestinian homes, or annex Palestinian land.” USPCN staged another protest at Schakowsky’s office on 8 July. Protesters hold a sign. Human rights defenders demand that Illinois Representative Jan Schakowsky support a bill that prevents US from funding Israeli abuse of Palestinian children. (USPCN) And in the UK, members of Palestine Action once again scaled the roof of a factory owned by Israeli arms manufacturer Elbit Systems in Leicester, forcing the factory to close for several days. We feature two interviews of Palestine Action members, Richard Barnard and Ferhat Ulusu who were involved in the factory occupation, conducted in late May by The Electronic Intifada’s contributor Mohamed Elmaazi.