RCT PSC and other PSC branches in Wales had a wonderful weekend , celebrating the work of Freedom Flotilla Coalition We welcomed the Handala to Cardiff on Friday July 7th followed by a public meeting in the Senedd. Saturday 8th was a very busy day with an emergency demo called “Hands off Jenin” where we had many amazing speakers and Kathleen Steelandt could help me fly the flag for the National Education Union: Wales International solidarity Network in solidarity with Palestine. We marched with banners to the BBC building where we handed in a letter protesting at their coverage of Palestine in the media.
During the demo, I shared the words of Mona directly from the ALTafawk center in Jenin which came via Bernard Regan and Sue Malpass
“We are not ok! They bombed homes, we are running outside, old people, women, some children are lost, we are sitting near hospitals in streets, no way to move, we could be shot! i don’t know about my brother
And huge numbers of children without families are sitting here! I wish i could explain but what is in the news is nothing compared with what is going here! If we just move, they shoot! We ran away without shoes, we just hope they don’t bomb the hospital and the places where we hide! We are in huge danger please do not leave us alone! All the world is silent! Dead bodies all over the camp no one knows them
Please please pray for us”
If you would like to help the children of Jenin, you can donate here https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-the-children-of-jenin
On Saturday night I chaired a public Palestine meeting at the Temple of Peace with Beth Winter MP, Summayya Ahmed a local Palestinian, and Zohar Chamberlaine Regev from the Flotilla organisation and currently part of the crew. They all spoke movingly about the situation in Palestine which has been so much worse recently and other members of the crew then came on stage and made contributions.
Lastly I was fascinated to learn from Alex McDonald (one of the Handala crew) that he was part of the crew for the “Mairead” in the 2018 “For a Just Future for Palestine” Flotilla, named after Mairead Corrigan/Maguire the peace activist from Northern Ireland
NEU Executive news for Wales by Mairead Canavan 