Hastings and District Palestine Solidarity Campaign
Newsletter   26 September 2025
  In this newsletter:
  • Saturday's Information stall
  • Monday 29 September 7.30 - Supporting Palestine, Opposing Repression Online meeting
  • More local and national solidarity actions, film shows, meetings, petitions.

    HASTINGS TOWN CENTRE INFORMATION STALL

    Saturday 27 September 12noon to 2pm Wellington Place, Hastings Town Centre.
    Our weekly information stall will run as usual on Saturday. All the usual information, petitions, stickers, keffiyehs, Support Plasticine Action T-Shirts, books and badges.

    SUPPORTING PALESTINE, OPPOSING REPRESSION

    Monday 29 September 7.30pm.
    A free online event to hear from Hastings area activists who have taken part in Lift the Ban protests in solidarity with Palestine Action.


    "Join us to hear the stories and experiences of a diverse group of people from the Hastings area who held up signs to oppose genocide, support direct action for Palestine, and oppose the UK government's repression of protest. We will hear their reasons for taking part and what they went through on the day."

    There's more information about the meeting on the Eventbrite page. To receive the joining details, click on the 'Tickets' button. Details of the Zoom meeting will be sent on the morning of the meeting. Eventbrite page.

    FILM SHOW: FROM GROUND ZERO - STORIES FROM GAZA

    Monday 29 September 5.50pm. Kino Rye, Lion Street, Rye.
    The documentary film From Ground Zero, directed by renowned Palestinian filmmaker Rashid Mashawari, brings together 22 stories as told by young, talented filmmakers in Gaza, each between 3-6 minutes long, during the current genocide. Highly rcommended. More information and ticket sales.

    PALESTINE BOOK CLUB

    Our Hastings and District PSC Palestine Book Club will be meeting Wednesday 1st October 6pm to 7.30pm at Bullet Coffeehouse, Robertson Street TN34 1HT and discussing the short, beautiful novella 'Touch' by Adania Shibli. We're a friendly informal group who want to learn more and share thoughts about writing of all kinds from Palestine and the diaspora. Do join us! Just come along or, if you want to know more, contact Jennifer or Jo.

    'SOLIDARITY SUKKAH' FOR GAZA

    6 - 10 October 5pm-7pm. Hastings town centre.
    Hastings Jews for Justice (HJJ) will be erecting a 'Solidarity Sukkah' in the town centre and are inviting members of the public to join them there for food and discussions.

    The sukkah is a temporary, three-sided structure put up during the harvest festival of Sukkot and Jewish families traditionally take all their meals inside to give thanks for the harvest and for shelter. But this year HJJ has adapted the tradition to draw attention to the suffering in Palestine.

    'We cannot celebrate the harvest festival this year while our brothers and sisters in Gaza are homeless and starving,' their statement reads. 'Instead we will gather in solidarity with Palestinians and make clear our opposition to Israel's genocide. We welcome the opportunity to share this space, our food and reflections with the wider community.'

    To find out more, visit the HJJ website, read about it in The Canary or Hastings Online Times.

    ANOTHER VICTORY FOR OUR 'SCHOOL'S OUT FOR GENOCIDE DYNAMICS' CAMPAIGN

    Rye College had engaged a General Dynamics employee as Enterprise Advisor and allowed the company to host a stall at Rye College careers fairs. According the the Head, they are 'no longer working with General Dynamics in any capacity.'

    This is the second Hastings school that has cut ties with General Dynamics. Another victory was in April when a local jobs fair ditched General Dynamics after one of our members wrote to the organiser giving legal and reputational reasons for shelving the company.

    General Dynamics is a major supplier of military hardware to Israel. This includes its 2,000 lb bombs which have devastated civilian areas of Gaza. It has two factories in Hastings hence this campaign and the campaign to end Hastings Council's lease of one of the factories.

    Use our template email to send to headteachers to make clear your feelings. More information at: the Hastings Online Times and Skwawbox.

    PROTEST AT SITES SUPPLYING ISRAEL'S F-35 FIGHTER JETS: BAE SYSTEMS ROCHESTER

    Wednesday 8 October 11am. BAE Systems Marconi Way, Rochester, Kent, ME1 2XX

    Britain is an active participant in Israel's genocide in Palestine, including through its arms trade and military collaboration with Israel. One example is Britain's contribution to Israel's F-35 fighter jets, used to drop 2,000lb bombs on the Gaza Strip. At least 15% of the value of each of Israel's F-35 fighter jet is produced in the UK.

    Wednesday 8 October is a day of action at Brough, Cheltenham, Havant, Rochester and Sheffield at sites involved in the F-35 fighter jet supply chain. The Rochester site produces the Active Interceptor System used by the F-35 pilot to control the fighter jet.

    We hope to organise a system of car sharing to travel to Rochester. So we can coordinate this please email us.    More information.

    NATIONAL MARCH FOR PALESTINE - END THE GENOCIDE

    Saturday 11 October 12.00 noon. Central London.
    Israel is continuing to intensify its genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, including by raining bombs down on Gaza City as part of its invasion and ethnic cleansing of the city. Famine has been declared throughout Gaza due to Israel's blockade. The British government remains deeply complicit in Israel's atrocities through its arms trade and military collaboration with Israel. More information. Catch the 10.31 Hastings train to London. If you would like help with the train fare or would like to donate a fare, please contact us We match donors with marchers.

    FILM SHOW: PUT YOUR SOUL ON YOUR HAND AND WALK

    Thursday 16 October 11am and Friday 17 October 7.30pm at the Electric Palace.
    Filmmaker Sepideh Farsi connects online with Fatma Hassouna, a 24-year-old Palestinian photojournalist in Gaza and 'throws a spotlight on life under bombardment in Gaza. An intensely moving documentary of the human cost of war.' The day after the film was invited to the Cannes Film Festival Israel killed Fatma in an airstrike in Gaza City. UK research group Forensic Architecture concluded Fatma's death was the result of a targeted attack - the missiles dropped by the Israeli military had "specifically targeted the Hassona family's apartment on Floor 2" of the five-floor building.The film is showing in partnership with the Hastings and District PSC. More information and tickets.

    PROTECT THE GLOBAL SUMUD FLOTILLA

    If Spain and Italy can send warships to protect their vessels in the Flotilla so can the UK. Please fill In this online form to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) to demand the UK government acts now to protect the ships and those onboard, and support their mission to deliver aid to the people of Gaza.

    PROTECT THE GLOBAL SUMUD FLOTILLA

    BAN ISRAEL FROM UEFA AND FIFA

    The UEFA is actively considering banning Israel. But it won't happen unless we continue to ramp up the pressure. Take action by writing to Britain's Football Associations to demand they take urgent steps to push for Israel to be banned from UEFA and FIFA.

    BAN ISRAEL FROM UEFA AND FIFA

    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.
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