International Solidarity Movement Nonviolence. Justice. Freedom.
On Friday July 14th, 100 Stockholm-based ‘Campaign for Solidarity with Palestine’ activists blocked the entrance to the Foreign Ministry building in the Swedish capital. They formed a human chain at the front gate for 2 hours, and delivered a letter of protest to a representative of the Ministry. Police tried to break them up by means of violent pushes, pepper spray and dogs. The next day, the group established a mock Israeli checkpoint in the same city, and simulated the racist process of allowing Israelis to pass and preventing Palestinians from crossing.
On Sunday July 16, 600 people joined together in Tel-Aviv to protest the war in Lebanon. The demonstration included veterans, young people, refuseniks, and various Israeli and international peace groups. Groups represented include Gush Shalom, Yesh Gvul, Anarchists Against Walls, Ta’ayush, Women’s Coalition for Peace, Courage to Refuse, Hadash, Balad, The Committee Against House Demolitions and The Center for Alternative Information. The demonstrators marched through the streets of Tel-Aviv until they were stopped by riot police. Some of the demonstrators broke away and continued their protest in the neighboring streets.
On Monday July 17, over 200 Palestinians and internationals marched through the center of Ramallah to protest Israel’s actions in Lebanon and Gaza. Various speakers delivered words from the lion statues in al-Manara, and following the speeches, the crowd waved flags and marched together through busy Ramallah traffic.
Also on Monday, English protesters blockaded EDO MBM Technologies Ltd, a Brighton-based company that produces electrical components for Israeli weapons. The action was designed to prevent the production of Israeli weapons for use in Lebanon and Gaza. Early Monday morning, protesters erected two roadblocks outside each gate of EDO MBM Technology, preventing vehicle access to the factory. Activists locked themselves to barrels filled with cement in front of the gates to create immoveable human obstructions.
In addition to these demonstrations, in the last two days there were actions in New York, Sydney, Montreal and San Francisco.
