Hastings and District Palestine Solidarity Campaign
Newsletter   16 February 2024
  In this newsletter:
  • National March For Palestine this Saturday
  • This Saturday's Information stall
  • Emergency Lobby Of Parliament For Gaza Wednesday 21 February
  • David Rovics In Hastings Thursday 22 February
  • Plus more dates for your diary

    NATIONAL MARCH FOR PALESTINE IN LONDON
    SATURDAY 17 FEBRUARY

    CEASEFIRE NOW - STOP THE GENOCIDE IN GAZA

    Marble Arch (Speaker's Corner) at 12:00 noon to march to the Israeli Embassy, London, W8.

    Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. Add your voice to the calls for a ceasefire of a brutal war on Gaza which has so far claimed over 28,000 lives. There has never been a more important time to stand with Palestine.

    Meet at 10am at Hastings Train Station to catch the 10.21 train to London.

    If you or anyone you know need help with the cost of a train ticket or is willing to sponsor someone else's ticket please email Hastings and District PSC and we will match you up. More information on our Facebook event page. Please share.

    INFORMATION STALL: THIS SATURDAY 17 FEBRUARY

    12.00 noon until 2pm Town Centre For those who can't get to London's march, please visit our stall. It's important to have a presence in the town with our Stop Genocide, Ceasefire Now! and BDS banners, placards, leaflets and other information.

    EMERGENCY LOBBY OF PARLIAMENT FOR GAZA: #CEASEFIRENOW

    Wednesday 21 February 11.30 am - 4 pm. Houses of Parliament. For more information:
    Lobby of Parliament.

    GIG FOR GAZA THURSDAY 22 FEBRUARY
    DAVID ROVICS IN HASTINGS

    Thursday 22 February 7 pm at the East Hastings Sea Angling Club.
    Tickets: £12.00 through Eventbrite or on the door. Benefit for Medical Aid for Palestinians.

    David Rovics is a legendary American musician and activist who has been writing and performing songs to accompany campaigns for justice for many years. A recurring theme has been the ongoing oppression of the Palestinian people. David will be performing songs from his latest album, many of which are about the war against Gaza; hopefully along with a few old favourites. He is now in the middle of a world tour taking in France, the UK, Australia and Scandinavia.

    There's an article about our benefit with David Rovics in the Hastings Independent Press by Leah Levane - please pick up a copy. This is the online version:
    David Rovics: New Songs for Palestine.

    Tickets can be bought at Eventbrite.  Facebook event page.   David Rovics website.

    PLANNING MEETING AND BANNER MAKING FOR GENERAL DYNAMICS ACTION SUNDAY 25 FEBRUARY 3 PM

    The White Rock Hotel (opposite Hastings Pier)  Planning meeting and banner making for the 29 February protest at General Dynamics (see below).

    PROTEST AT GENERAL DYNAMICS THURSDAY 29 FEBRUARY

    General Dynamics, Sidney Little Road Hastings TN38 9PU. Time to be announced.

    The giant armaments company plays a major role in enabling Israel to carry out its policy of genocide against the Palestinian people. Among the weapons it provides Israel with are the 5,000 pound "bunker buster" bombs (BLU-113) and the "hardened penetration" (BLU-109) bombs. General Dynamics' MK-84 2,000-pound bombs have been used extensively by the Israeli Air Force during its frequent assaults on Gaza. It also manufactures the GD 883 V-12 diesel engine which is used in Israel's main battle tank, the Merkava IV.

    BARCLAYS DAY OF ACTION SATURDAY 2 MARCH

    Barclays Bank, 207-208 Queens Road, Hastings TN34 1QP 11 am - 1 pm.
    Barclays is bankrolling Israel's genocidal assault on Palestinians through its financial ties with arms companies that sell weapons to Israel. Barclays Bank holds over £1 billion in shares, and provides over £3 billion in loans and underwriting to 9 companies whose weapons, components, and military technology are being used by Israel in its attacks on Palestinians.

    CLOSE YOUR BARCLAYS ACCOUNT
    ON 21 MARCH

    On the first PSC collective account closure day, 9 February, over 1500 people closed their bank accounts. The PSC is now asking asking everyone who still holds a Barclays account to pledge to close it on the 2nd mass account closure day, Thursday 21 March, to have the most impact. Barclays NEEDS TO KNOW that you are boycotting it, and to know why, so the PSC has set up a simple way for you to inform the bank. If you're not a Barclays customer, the request is to write to the bank to tell it you won't use any Barclays services. More information: Boycott Barclays Bank.

    MEETING WITH ANDREW FEINSTEIN

    Wednesday 27 March. More information to follow.

    We are pleased to welcome Andrew Feinstein to speak in Hastings. Andrew Feinstein is a former African National Congress (ANC) Member of the South Africa Parliament from 1994 till 2001. Now based in the UK, Andrew is the Executive Director of Shadow World Investigations. He is a prolific writer and speaker, author of the best-selling After the Party: Corruption, the ANC and South Africa's Uncertain Future, as well as the critically-acclaimed The Shadow World: Inside the Global Arms Trade.

    REPORT: MOON TELL ME TRUTH EXHIBITION

    Our Moon Tell Me Truth Exhibition was a huge success. We had about 700 visitors from all over the South East, ran workshops for dozens of kids, inspired poetry from youngsters and generally helped to share the amazing art and poetry of the children of Gaza.

    We also had an incredibly moving vigil for the children of Gaza on Tuesday; and a very productive meeting on our twinning campaign with the Al-Mawasi community in Gaza.

    We sold all our 180 Moon Tell Me Truth booklets. More can be bought from the Hands Up Project.

    Video from ITV News Meridian (Facebook).
    The exhibition launch event (Facebook).

    The exhibition is now closed here but it moves on to a new home in Exeter, and will then travel to London, Edinburgh and beyond. The aim is to have it displayed in as many towns and cities as possible. Huge and heartfelt thanks to everyone who put so much work into the exhibition, including all the volunteers, workshop leaders, artists and especially our amazing exhibition coordinators Marta Munoz and Jaen Loftin.

    Above: Illustrated poem by Remas Mohamed Zouraba, aged 14. Below: Illustrated poem by Alaa Esleem; local children who took part in our launch event, reading some of the poems by children from Gaza.
     

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    Hastings and District PSC online membership and donations

    Becoming a member of Hastings and District PSC is an important way of supporting our work.The annual subscription is £10 waged, £5 unwaged. We now have an online membership payment form. It can also be used to renew membership. If you would rather not use Paypal, you can pay directly to our bank: please contact us for the details. Or alternatively pay at one of our events.

    The work of Hastings and District PSC could not continue without the donations from members of the public. If you would like to support our work without becoming a member please visit our shop page here and see the right hand column:
    Donate to Hastings and District PSC.
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    Recent Hastings and District PSC newsletters:

    13 February 2024
    9 February 2024
    1 February 2024

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