DEFEND AL-AWDA-NY: Defend the Right to Defend Palestine

Sign on to the Al-Awda New York Solidarity Statement. Use the form, or email us at info@al-awdany.org. If you send us your own statement, we will post it on our supporters page. […]

Sign on to the Al-Awda New York Solidarity Statement. Use the form, or email us at info@al-awdany.org. If you send us your own statement, we will post it on our supporters page. Thank you for your solidarity and support!

DEFEND AL-AWDA-NY: Defend the Right to Defend Palestine

Al-Awda-NY, the Palestine Right to Return Coalition, active in the struggle for justice since 2000, both within the Palestinian community and broader social movements, today faces a new threat that endangers not only Al-Awda but all social justice activists and protest organizers in New York City and beyond.

A civil lawsuit has been filed that seeks to hold Al-Awda liable for the injuries sustained by a man shouting racist slurs , who attacked a  group of teen Muslim girls, when a man defending those girls protected himself – after, and blocks away from an Al-Awda-NY rally in January 2011. While no Al-Awda members or organizers were involved, the lawsuit claims that Al-Awda should be held liable because the girls and the man who defended them had earlier attended a mass protest. This suit poses a threat to all organizers – particularly communities of color already targeted for mass criminalization.

For over 13 years, Al-Awda NY has provided youthcultural, and know your rights trainings, and has organized conferencesinternational delegationshumanitarian convoyscafescultural events and rallies in support of Palestine, and has played a key role in initiating broad coalitions and local, national and international projects and campaigns.

This lawsuit is part of ongoing attacks coordinated between state agents and Zionist organizations. Al-Awda-NY was a key target of the NYPD’s infamous “Demographics Unit” and other COINTELPRO-style repression programs.  Al-Awda NY was infiltrated by two undercover NYPD officers, and the NYPD poured extensive resources into its failed attempts to criminalize Al-Awda NY.

This lawsuit also fits into the framework of anti-Palestinian “lawfare” groups working with the Israeli state to abuse the law to target advocates for Palestinian rights, including Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) activists and Students for Justice in Palestine.  It also comes alongside the ongoing state repression that includes raids, arrests, and persecution targeting Palestinian community activists and leaders in Chicago and elsewhere.

We are determined to resist these attempts to curb our right to be part of the movement for justice in Palestine. Our struggle is an extension of the Palestinian struggle and all social justice struggles.  Accordingly, we demand an end to all unconstitutional surveillance practices, and an end to Israeli and U.S. state harassment and infiltration of social justice movements and communities of color.

We call on our allies and all people of conscience to show support by:

  1. Endorsing this statement (click here or email info@al-awdany.org) and distributing it widely.
  2. Donating to the Al-Awda NY Legal Defense Fund (click here)

Signatures:

Al-Awda South Florida
Al-Nakba Awareness Project
Advocates for Peace and Social Justice
AF3IRM – National and New York
American Iranian Friendship Committee
American Muslims for Palestine
Arab Resource & Organizing Center (AROC)
BDS Berlin
Boston Coalition for Palestinian Rights
Boycott Israeli Apartheid Campaign – Vancouver
Brooklyn for Peace
Brooklyn College Students for Justice in Palestine
Center for Constitutional Rights
Colorado Coalition Against Attacking Iran
Committee for Open Discussion of Zionism (CODZ)
Cornell Students for Justice in Palestine
CUNY Law Students for Justice in Palestine
Facilitate Global
Freedom Socialist Party
HammerHard Media Works
Harvard Palestine Solidarity Committee
Independent Jewish Voices Canada
International Action Center
International Health Workers for People Over Profit
International Socialist Organization
IWW Taiwan
Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP)- Westchester
Jews for Boycotting Israeli Goods (J-BIG)
Jews for Palestinian Right of Return
Labor for Palestine
Lutherans for Justice in the Holy Land
MENA Solidarity Network-US
National Lawyers Guild Palestine Subcommittee
National Lawyers Guild – NYC Muslim Defense Project
New York City Labor Against the War
New Yorkers Against the Cornell-Technion Partnership (NYACT)
NH Veterans for Peace
Nodutdol for Korean Community Development
Northeastern University Students for Justice in Palestine
Northwest Regional BDS Coalition
Palestine Justice Network
Palestine Solidarity Group-Chicago
Palestine Solidarity Legal Support
Palestinian and Jewish Unity (PAJU)
People for Justice in Palestine – Iowa City
Philly BDS
Radical Women
Radio Free Eireann
Rutgers Students for Justice in Palestine
Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network
SOAS Palestine Society
Stop G4S, London
The Tadamon Council
United National Antiwar Coalition (UNAC)
US Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel
US Palestinian Community Network
Vancouver Seriously Free Speech Committee
WESPAC Foundation
Workers World Party

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