| |
Hastings and District Palestine Solidarity Campaign
Newsletter 21 March 2025
|
|
|
| |
In this newsletter:
Saturday 12 noon - 2pm - Hastings Information stall
Saturday 2pm - Brighton demonstration
Saturday 12.30 - National Demonstration for Palestine in London
Sunday 2.30pm - International Al-Quds Day Rally in London
Report: Hastings' emergency rally
Plus...., Future activities in Hastings; Children of Gaza memorial quilt; Palestine Book Club; books for sale; information sources....
The PSC has called an emergency protest in London, and a range of local events will be taking place across Britain.
Over the past few days, Israel has sunk to new depths of brutality, with its carpet bombing wiping out entire families as they slept. It has torn up the ceasefire agreement in front of the world. In just 4 days Israel has killed over 600 Palestinians including at least 200 children. All this with the support of Western leaders, including UK national and local politicians.
The renewed bombing comes two weeks after Israel reimposed a complete blockade on the Gaza Strip, denying the entry of all food, water, fuel and medical supplies. Meanwhile, in the West Bank, Palestinians are resisting Israel's daily military invasions, and an escalation of land grabs and ethnic cleansing.
A big thank you to everyone who supported our emergency rally on Tuesday and our protest at County Hall on Thursday. The situation is so serious. Please listen to announcements of more actions over the next few days and weeks.
SATURDAY'S INFORMATION STALL
Saturday 22 March 12.00 noon until 2pm Hastings Town Centre. Please visit our information stall. All the usual information, BDS literature including the Don't Buy Apartheid campaign material, the East Sussex Pension Fund petition, plus keffiyehs, books, badges, boycott and General Dynamics 'Guilty of Genocide' stickers.
BRIGHTON DEMONSTRATION: GAZA IS BLEEDING!
Saturday 22 March 12pm. The Level, ending at Hove Peace Statue. As Israel's genocide resumes/continues please come out to show your anger, disgust and solidarity! More information.
LONDON DEMONSTRATION - END THE GENOCIDE
Saturday 22 March 12.30. Israeli embassy. National protest for Palestine. More information.
INTERNATIONAL AL-QUDS DAY RALLY
Sunday 23 March 2.30pm Marble Arch, march to BBC Portland Place.Join literally millions of people throughout the world (including one million+ in Yemen!) in support of Palestine.The Al-Quds Day demonstration has taken place annually for over 40 years. Amongst the speakers in London in recent years have been Lowkey, Huda Ammori (Palestine Action), Rev Dr Stephen Sizer, Shahd Abusalama, Chris Williamson, Rabbi Beck (Neturei Karta) and Mick Napier (Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign). More information. Everything you need to know.
REPORT: EMERGENCY RALLY - END THE GENOCIDE NOW
Thanks to everyone who came out in Hastings for our emergency rally with such short notice to protest against Israel's renewed air strikes on Gaza.
We came together in rage and grief but with determination to hold the powerful to account.We must never be silent in the face of genocide.
Thanks to our speakers Jaen Loftin, Leah Levane, Olivia Cavanagh, Simon Hestor, Irfan Chowdhury, Phil Colley, Laurie Holden and Katy Colley.
We pledge to boycott Israeli Apartheid and demand an arms embargo, sanctions and divestment now.
 
GOAT LEDGE FUNDRAISING STALL
Saturday 29 March 11.00am. Goat Ledge TN37 6FA.
In addition to the stall at Goat Ledge, there will be a fundraising walk to the town centre stall. More information to follow.
Wednesday 16 April 6pm. Stade Hall, Hastings, TN34 3FJ.
Hastings Jews for Justice will be marking Passover this year with a community Seder meal and everyone is invited.
"Today, as Israel continues its violence and destruction across all of Palestine, we reject the idea that this is done in the name of Jewish safety. True freedom is never dependent on the oppression and occupation of another people and every generation must join the struggle 'to move from slavery to freedom'.
All over the world Jewish movements are mobilising our communities to fight for collective liberation for all." More information and tickets.
POETRY FOR PALESTINE OPEN MIC NIGHT - AN AL-MAWASI FUNDRAISER
Thursday 17 April 7.30pm. The Downstairs Bar, White Rock Hotel TN34 1JU
Share your poetry, listen to others, and support our friends in Gaza. Let's come together to celebrate the power of words and show solidarity with Palestine.
Online audience tickets are £15 (or £10 if finances are tight). Tickets can be bought at the door. For poets: £5 for 5 minute open mic slots (with some spaces reserved for low/no income poets). Please sign-up beforehand to ensure your slot. Pay it Forward option - if you would like to buy a ticket for another person/s to attend, you can Pay it Forward. This will allow us to offer these tickets to unwaged/low income poets and guests. Online tickets at Eventbrite. More information at our Facebook and Instagram pages.
With Israel's renewed bombing and its total siege of Gaza there has never been a more important time to support the community in Al-Mawasi. The fundraiser has got off to a good start, but we have still not reached half way to our target. So please contribute - and share widely. Give It Up For Gaza. More information about Al-Mawasi.
CHILDREN OF GAZA MEMORIAL QUILT
A project has been set up to create a memorial quilt, naming and remembering the children of Gaza killed in the genocide. This is a project that any individual or groups can contribute to. More information here.
We enjoyed our very first gathering of Palestine Book Club recently where we had a lively and invigorating discussion about the book Against the Loveless World by Susan Abulhawa. Huge thanks to Vicki for hosting us at Bullet!
The next book on our reading list is Enter Ghost by Isabella Hammad and we'll meet to discuss on Wednesday April 2nd at 6pm. If you wish to add your name to the book club email list please email us.
ONLINE WELLBEING SESSIONS
Clinical hypnotherapist Chris Dindar is running 30 min relaxation sessions to help decompress, process our emotions, and find a moment of peace and deep relaxation amidst the chaos. Chris is offering his services for free, as a token of his solidarity, to help nurture the well-being of our local group and maintain our collective resolve.
Please email Chris directly if interested in taking part. The sessions are the 1st and 3rd Friday of the month at 12 noon.
BOOKS AVAILABLE AT OUR STALLS AND MEETINGS
 
 
 
Now available at our stall, a number of great books to deepen our knowledge of the history of Palestine and Israel. We're grateful to Lee at Printed Matter in Hastings, for generously discounting the price for us in support of the work of PSC. Thanks to Kay Green for providing us with Marilyn Garson's Jewish not Zionist.
PALESTINE - ISRAEL: FROM A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE
Much of the 'information' in the corporate media is misleading. Here are some useful sources:
Middle East Eye. Electronic Intifada. Al Jazeera. Middle East Monitor.
Mondoweiss. Palestine Chronicle. Al Mayadeen. Mintpress. The Grayzone.
The Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor. Jonathan Cook.
The Cradle. MediaLens. Declassified UK. The Hind Rajab Foundation.
Rania Khalek.
.......................................
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.
........................................
Recent Hastings and District PSC newsletters:
19 March 2025
18 March 2025
14 March 2025
Keep up to date with our website and social media:
Website Facebook X/Twitter Instagram YouTube Channel TikTok. Bluesky
|
|
|
|
|
|
