Day of Rage Against Annexation
of Palestinian Land
Vigorous Action in Windsor
On July 18, Windsor youth and students held a
Day of Rage organized to oppose all attempts to
extinguish the rights of the Palestinian people
whether by annexation or through what is called
"negotiation."
Around 75 people rallied on the riverfront then
marched, shouting slogans, through downtown to
City Hall Square for speeches.
Four activists
addressed the crowd each emphasizing different
aspects of the fight for Palestinian human rights.
An organizer with the University of Windsor
Palestinian Solidarity Group opened by explaining
how Israel's attempts at unilateral annexation of
even more Palestinian territory than it has
already seized end any pretense that a two-state
solution is possible, saying that although it may
not seem clear yet, this opens the door to the
only democratic solution, which is one state with
equal rights for all.
A young woman activist rejected the attempts to
criminalize support for the rights of the
Palestinian people and did so in the context of
opposing colonialism in Canada against the
Indigenous peoples and national minorities. She
also condemned the criminality of the Israeli
occupation which labels the people who have been
dispossessed of their lands as terrorists and
threats. Meanwhile, those responsible for the
dispossession and occupation claim to be acting in
self-defence and in the interest of "security."
An activist of the Communist Party of Canada
(Marxist-Leninist) noted that the Israeli and
Canadian states have longstanding economic,
political and security ties and that these must be
ended in order for Canada to be able to contribute
to peace in the Middle East. She hailed the
initiative of the youth to call the rally noting
that a new generation of anti-imperialist youth
who are speaking and acting for themselves is
proof that the colonial project of the Israeli
state will not succeed and that the memory of the
Palestinian people cannot be extinguished. She
called on everyone to oppose any attempts to
criminalize opposition to Israeli state violence
as anti-Semitic, which governments in Canada at
all levels are doing.
The final speaker, an activist with the
Revolutionary Student Movement, explained that
their own entrance into political activism was
through joining the work to stand up for
Palestinian human rights at the University of
Windsor. They noted that many of the activists
they worked and stood shoulder to shoulder with
were of Palestinian origin, and this inspired them
to get involved in speaking out and actively
standing up to injustice as well.
This article was published in
Volume 50 Number 27 - July 25, 2020
Article Link:
Day of Rage Against Annexation
of Palestinian Land: Vigorous Action in Windsor
Website: www.cpcml.ca
Email: editor@cpcml.ca
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