Forthcoming local solidarity events, fundraisers, petitions including - tell Andy Burnham to Sanction Israel, Write to the Foreign Secretary: Demand the Release of Dr Abu Safiya, Swim With Gaza - Free Swimming Lessons for Children in Gaza....
HASTINGS TOWN CENTRE INFORMATION STALL
Saturday 8 August 12noon until 2pm Town Centre.
We will be running our weekly stall as usual. With information leaflets, the petition calling on Hastings Council to ditch the General Dynamics' lease, boycott stickers, keffiyehs, tote bags, books and badges.
HASTINGS WALK FOR AL-MAWASI
Sunday 9 August 11am Starting at the Stade. Hastings, TN34 3FJ.
From the Stade to Bexhill with three joining and rest points.
Fundraiser for the Resilience Committee in Al-Mawasi which supports families in the town and in the surrounding displacement camps with food and shelters, run education projects, work with aid agents to run workshops and so much more.
Come and join us on the 9th of August. If you can't make it, please donate at our fundraiser:
Chuffed Fundraiser page. Article in the Hastings Online Times. Please share our Facebook event page and the Instagram page.
Tuesday 11 August 5pm. Please join our Zoom call this Tuesday at 5pm with our friends in Al Mawasi. These zoom calls are the best way to hear directly what is happening on the ground at the moment, and we know they value people coming to listen and showing our friendship and solidarity.
This will be a chance to find out the latest from Al-Mawasi, the situation since the 'ceasefire.'
Register in advance for this meeting. Register. here. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
HASTINGS AND AL-MAWASI - CULTURAL EXCHANGE MEETING
Sunday 16 August 10am. Online. Meeting details to follow. Please keep an eye out for this - we had a meeting with a group of people from Al-Mawasi last week which gave us a great opportunity to share the culture, traditions and daily life experiences our two communities.
INTERNATIONAL SWIM WITH GAZA
Saturday 29 August 2.30pm. Marina Beach, by the Azur TN38 0BU. This year the International Swim with Gaza will be held on days between August 22nd to 30th. #swimwithgaza has chosen these dates to coincide with the Swimming Carnival in Gaza which will be on 22nd August, depending on the seas. If the sea if too rough the Carnival will be held a week later. The Swimming Carnival in Gaza takes place when hundreds of Palestinian children will rush into the sea together to celebrate their swimming success.
#swimwithgaza had 30-40 places around the world taking part in the solidarity swim in 2023 and 2024, but last year it never went ahead because of the appalling situation in Gaza. Hastings has chosen 29 August.
More information from the #swimwithgaza website. Hastings: #swimwithgaza 2023 #swimwithgaza 2024.
I DO NOT CONSENT TO PALANTIR
Thanks to everyone who came to our recent meeting where the ''I do not consent to Palantir' campaign was launched. At the meeting we heard how Palantir has automated the so-called 'Kill Chain,' generating 'targets' for the Israeli military which has killed over 73,000 Palestinians in Gaza. We also heard how two influential UK select committees have concluded that Palantir is not a suitable partner for the NHS, urging the government to end its £330 million contract by using the February 2027 break clause. Palantir is here now in East Sussex, giving Palantir access to all our private medical data.
The 'I do not consent to Palantir' campaign has got off the ground with this petition to put pressure on the East Sussex Heathcare Trust to ditch Palantir. If you want to get involved in the campaign please email. More information about the campaign is on our Facebook and Instagram pages.
"I do not consent to Palantir accessing my personal information and I insist that East Sussex Healthcare Trust drops Palantir immediately" Please sign and share widely.
SIGN HERE
AHMED MASOUD AT THE RYE ARTS FESTIVAL
Monday 14 September Doors Open: 5:45 Starts: 6:00. The George In Rye TN31 7JT.
We're really pleased to see that Ahmed Masoud will be at the festival. We know Ahmed - he came to give a talk in Hastings a few years ago about his life in Gaza.
"Ahmed is a writer, poet and director who grew up in Palestine and moved to the UK in 2002. He is the author of the acclaimed novels Vanished - The Mysterious Disappearance of Mustafa Ouda and Come What May. He has written many widely-praised theatre and radio dramas. Ahmed is the founder of Al Zaytouna Dance Theatre where he wrote and directed many productions with subsequent tours in the UK and Europe. After finishing his PhD research, Ahmed published many journals and articles including a chapter in the Britain and Muslim World: A Historical Perspective. He certainly has a lot to talk about!" Ticket information.
PETITION: TELL ANDY BURNHAM TO SANCTION ISRAEL
This is the PSC's petition demanding the new Prime Minister ends Britain's complicity in Israel's ongoing genocide, illegal occupation, and system of apartheid. Call on the government to recognise the fact that Israel is engaged in genocide; impose comprehensive sanctions on Israel, including a full arms embargo; ban all trade in goods and services with Israel's illegal settlements; and end the use of public order and anti-terror legislation to suppress protest in support of Palestinian rights. Apologies for the incorrect link in last week's newsletter. This is the correct link.
SIGN THE PETITION
WRITE TO THE FOREIGN SECRETARY: DEMAND THE RELEASE OF DR ABU SAFIYA. IMPLEMENT SANCTIONS NOW
Support the PSC e-action: Write to the Foreign Secretary to demand the release of Dr Abu Safiya. The PSC letter also refers to the 9,000+ Palestinians who are currently imprisoned by Israel in the most horrific conditions imaginable and subjected to beatings, torture, rotten food and unsanitary environments. "The British government must take urgent action to hold Israel accountable for these crimes by implementing comprehensive sanctions now."
WRITE TO THE FOREIGN SECRETARY
FREE SWIMMING LESSONS FOR CHILDREN IN GAZA
This is a project we support that we really hope people can get behind. #swimwithgaza is working with and supporting this incredible project where pools are being constructed along the Gazan coast with boulders and sand bags forming mini-lagoon-like structures. So far five pools have been completed by Amjed Tantesh and his helpers. 9 more to be built. Amjed's life ambition is to teach as many children in Gaza to swim as possible.
The money is needed to pay the teachers, the support staff, meals for the children and for Amjed's helpers who are setting up and maintaining the pools.
The fundraiser page is here: Free Swimming Lessons for Children in Gaza.
Amjed features in a recent Guardian podcast. It gives the background to his projects to teach children to swim; also there's a glimpse of everyday life for children in Gaza. Podcast: The Man Building Swimming Pools in Gaza. An accompamying article in the Guardian about Amjed and the Swim with Gaza project: Reclaiming stolen childhoods: swimming classes resume in Gaza after three years of war Article here.
More information at the Swim With Gaza website and at its Facebook and Instagram pages.
Sign the petition calling on Hastings Borough Council to evict General Dynamics from council premises for carrying out 'illegal and immoral activities.'
SIGN THE PETITION
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. Craig Murray. The Canary. Double Down News.
Glenn Diesen.
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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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