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Statement of the BDS Movement in Germany
First, THANKS to everyone who show up in solidarity with Palestine today. More than 300 amazing comrades, friends, and activist from all over Europe and from Berlin made this day a great day for Palestine in Germany. We are so many and together we can expose racism and apartheid, and expose the complicity of the German state.
This is the second protest we in Palestine Speaks - Coalition for Palestinian Rights and Against Racism organize with BDS Berlin, the Jüdische Stimme für gerechten Frieden in Nahost, many anti racist, anti fascist, queer and feminist collectives and organizations from Germany and beyond in front of the German Bundestag to say it clear that:
We call to stop criminalizing the BDS movement, to respect freedom of expression and right to boycott. Palestinians must be heard in Germany.
More than half a year after German Bundestag declared its intention against the international BDS movement, we again call on the members of the German Bundestag to protect the freedom of speech and assembly in accordance with the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, also with regard to BDS actions, and to repeal the anti-BDS resolution of May 2019.
BDS Movement commented on the anti-BDS decision of the German Bundestag as follows:
May 17th, 2019 was a dark day for freedom of expression in Germany and a stain in the history of the Bundestag. All political parties of the house of representatives have submitted motions which attempt to legitimize the crimes practiced by the State of Israel, including the Crime of Apartheid -a crime against humanity. It is even more preposterous to use the struggle against antisemitism to justify that.
The Palestinian-led BDS campaign, which these motions were directed against, is rooted in international law and universal principles of human rights. It demands freedom for the Palestinians living under military occupation, equality forPalestinians under Israeli apartheid, and justice for the Palestinian refugees who have been in forced exile for the past seven decades.
These demands for equality, freedom and justice are the basis of any free society. It is therefore troubling that the entirety of the German Bundestag chose to distance itself from such values and cast them as illegitimate.
Standing for equality, freedom and justice the BDS campaign is strictly opposed to all forms of racism, including that of antisemitism. Claiming thatonly one group of people deserves to be free and equal while another one, in this case Palestinians, are doomed to be oppressed and subjugated is the very essence of racism or group focused enmity.
It is not too late for German parties and institutions to respect the tenants of European and International law, protect freedom of expression -what they tirelessly pretend to do so.
After the first big rally on June 28, 2019, we are again in front of the Bundestag not only to remind the elected MPs that they too are obliged to international law and universal human rights, but also that Palestinians have the same rights like everyone else.
Equality, Justice, dignity and freedom. All against the #DealOfTheCentury, and All against the anti-BDS motions in Germany and beyond.
Photos by Magda Stefanenco. Thank you