[News] Artist Solidarity Statement Launch on November 29th, International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People

[Anti-Imperialist News]

*In commemoration of the International Day of Solidarity with the 
Palestinian People 
<https://www.un.org/en/observances/international-day-of-solidarity-with-the-palestinian-people>, 
November 29th, and in solidarity *with the six Palestinian human rights 
organizations under attack by the Israeli occupation and apartheid 
regime, *Art Against Imprisonment <http://www.artagainstprison.org> 
endorses the  following Artists' Statement . 
<https://docs.google.com/document/d/1LCZcJ-5W6_-ucTpht-i09FVyiLPeHhLdaj6N6AJIMm0/edit#>
*
*Over forty artists from around the world have already signed on for 
this launch.
*

*Please read the statement below, SIGN, 
<https://docs.google.com/forms/d/17UpbSIORRtaEnRAkdCBo1ZZgvW1IbkAEpta36hKsOf4/edit?ts=61972912>and 
share widely.*
*
*
*In Solidarity,*
*Art Against Imprisonment <https://artagainstprison.org>
*
*
*


We, the undersigned artists stand in solidarity with the six Palestinian 
human rights organizations currently under attack by the Israeli 
occupation and apartheid regime. As cultural workers, we understand the 
critical role served by independent civil society and human rights 
groups in providing essential services, fighting against oppressive 
social and political structures, and towards collective liberation.

We understand the historic role that cultural workers - artists, 
musicians, dancers, poets, writers, etc. - have played in making plain 
the Palestinian struggle for self-determination and an end to Israeli 
occupation. We also understand that the arts is a powerful tool to 
change society and with that comes a responsibility for our community to 
lift up the voices of the oppressed and support human rights in our work.

On 19 October 2021, Israel launched an unprecedented, and blanket attack 
on Palestinian human rights defenders beginning with the designation of 
six leading Palestinian human rights organizations as “terrorist” 
groups. The organizations include: Addameer Prisoner Support and Human 
Rights Association <https://www.addameer.org/>, Al-Haq Law in the 
Service of Man (Al-Haq) <https://www.alhaq.org/>, Bisan Center for 
Research and Development <https://www.bisan.org/>, Defense for Children 
International-Palestine (DCI-P) <https://www.dci-palestine.org/>, the 
Union of Agricultural Work Committees (UAWC) 
<https://www.uawc-pal.org/index.php?&lang=en>, and the Union of 
Palestinian Women’s Committees (UPWC) 
<http://upwc.org.ps/?page_id=4150>. Despite international condemnation 
by the UN, international human rights groups, and government officials, 
the Israeli occupation proceeded to double down in their crackdown and 
issued a military order that outlaws, entirely, the six Palestinian 
organizations in the West Bank.

Addameer serves as one of the largest organizations providing direct 
legal support to Palestinian political prisoners. Al-Haq is one the 
oldest human rights organizations in the Middle East and extensively 
documents human rights violations in the occupied territory. Bisan 
Center produces extensive research and development reports in support of 
the poor and marginalized communities. DCI-P is a local affiliate of an 
international human rights organizations that works to protect the 
rights of Palestinian children. The UAWC supports thousands of 
Palestinian farmers and their families amid the encroachment and 
violence of illegal Israeli settlements. The UPWC is a feminist, 
progressive, and grassroots organization that aims to empower 
Palestinian women. The vital work of these six organizations to protect 
and empower Palestinians and hold Israel accountable for its gross human 
rights violations and military occupations is precisely the work that 
Israel is trying to end.

Israel’s designation of these six Palestinian organizations as 
“terrorist” groups, and the military order that outlaws them places the 
safety of the organizations and their staff at imminent risk. The 
military order allows for Israeli occupation forces to raid their 
offices, forcibly shut them down, arbitrarily arrest their staff to be 
tried under Israeli military courts, and institute other reprisals 
including travel bans and residency revocations against their members. 
The threat of retaliation puts at risk not just the organizations 
themselves, but the entire Palestinian civil society and the tens of 
thousands of Palestinians they serve every day.

We are launching this statement for broad circulation on the 29thof 
November, the “International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian 
People” – a day to express our solidarity and support to enhance the 
steadfastness of the people of Palestine.

We call on all artists and cultural workers of conscience across the 
globe to stand with us. We call on the international community to 
#Standwiththe6 and protect Palestinian human rights defenders. We demand 
that the Israeli government immediately rescind the terrorist 
designations and end all attempts to outlaw and criminalize the critical 
work of these six organizations.


*Click here to Sign the Statement 
<https://docs.google.com/forms/d/17UpbSIORRtaEnRAkdCBo1ZZgvW1IbkAEpta36hKsOf4/edit?ts=61972912>*


SIGNED BY

*_Organizations_*

Art Forces

Barrio Blues Press

CCDS/NEC/Peace and Solidarity Committee

Justseeds Coop

lower bottom playaz, inc

Radius of Arab American Writers

US Palestinian Community Network

*_Individuals_*

Aaron Hughes, Artist

Ada Pinkston     Multi-media artist

Aja Monet, Poet

Arnoldo García Poeta humano

Ayodele Nzinga Theater artist, poet

Chris Gazaleh Artist

Christie Harbinski Musicians (Jazz/Originals/Blues)

Daniel Brooks Poet

Danya Zituni Visual artist

Emory Douglas Social justice visual artist/graphic designer

Eric J. Garcia Visual Artist

Fernando Martí Printmaker

Gary Hicks CCDS/NEC/Peace and Solidarity Committee

George Abraham Palestinian American Poet

Glenn Shaheen Poet

Hilton Obenzinger Poet

Ilyich Sato Artist

Jasmine Baetz Visiting Artist, Scripps College

Jean Yaste Musician, Composer, Producer, Singer & Dancer

Josh MacPhee Artist, designer, and archivist

Joyce Lee Poet

Juana Alícia Araiza Artist

Kaleem Hawa Writer

Karen Harvey-Turner Poet

Leora Rozner Visual artist / muralist

Lincoln Bergman Poet

Manar Shreiteh Art Forces - Madaa Silwan Creative Centre

María Estrada Poet and Writer

Melanie Cervantes Artist, DIGNIDAD REBELDE

Miranda Bergman Visual artist

Oscar Lopez Artist

Priscilla Wathington Poet / Radius of Arab American Writers

Rebecca Young Visual artist

Roger Peet Artist

Sarah Farahat Visual artist

Shirien Creates Illustrator & Designer

Sophia Sobko Visual and social practice art

Summer Farah Poet, Radius of Arab American Writers Board Member

Susan Greene Artist, Art Forces

Tongo Eisen-Martin Poet, Poet Laureate San Francisco

Zeyn Joukhadar Writer
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