Palestinian Cultural Celebration Violently Repressed by Israeli Occupation Forces

A Palestinian cultural celebration was brutally repressed by Israel's apartheid state security forces in Jerusalem Thursday after hundreds of Palestinians attempted to leave the Old City via Damascus Gate and march to the French, British, and American embassies.

At least nine people were arrested, including the secretary-general of Jerusalem's Fatah movement, Omar Ash-Shabi, and one International Solidarity Movement activist who tried to de-arrest an unlawfully detained Palestinian.

The cultural celebration was organized by the Al-Quds Community Action Center meant to mark Jerusalem's designation as the 2009 Arab Cultural Capital of the World by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization.

According to the Maan News Agency: "intended to be a yearlong event sponsored by the Arab League, Al-Quds Capital of Arab Culture was officially banned by Israel. The festival was marred by arrests and police raids. Israeli forces also broke up a march planned by Palestinian scout troops and closed schools where cultural events were taking place. Soldiers also surrounded the French Cultural Center and the British Council, where two simultaneous events were planned as the finale of Al-Quds Capital of Arab Culture."

According to event organizers, eight buses of people were also prevented by authorities from joining the demonstration.

I've never seen anything so fucked up in my life. Any Palestinian man who dared to open his mouth to sing songs, dance, or chant slogans was immediately arrested. Chant leaders were targeted by snatch-squads made up of police and army soldiers and beaten and detained without the slightest hint of pretense or justification. An old woman who started screaming after her son was arrested was kicked in the face by a police officer. News reporters and photographers were pushed, shoved, and thrown to the ground if they got in the soldiers' way. Any Palestinian male who yelled at the security forces or protested the violence of the state was immediately assaulted and detained. The apartheid state security forces acted with a vicious precision that left the crowd in shock. Women and girls were crying with grief, tears streaming down their faces. It was an overwhelming display of brute force and repression by a police state more often expected in a place like Iran than in "the only democracy in the Middle East".

Apartheid Israel does not recognize Palestinian human rights to free speech, assembly, or cultural expression.

"It is forbidden for Palestinians to celebrate their identity and culture in Jerusalem," said event organizer Najwa Silwadi.

"The community was not aggressive towards anybody. We only wanted to give our people the chance to take pride in their culture and national identity for a few hours. And this is how they react. This is the reality of the Israeli occupation."

I still can't believe what I saw yesterday.




A photo album of the cultural celebration can be viewed here: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2429675&id=14812438&l=451a670b5c

I'll upload a complete list of video from the demonstration as soon as I can. The weekly Sheikh Jarrah march and rally is today. Last week, 24 Israeli Jewish anarchists and two internationals were arrested during the protest.