Justice the seed, peace the flower: Call to action for Palestine

We invite you, your family and friends to Waitangi Park in Pōneke (on the grass directly behind the skatepark) on Sunday, 15 October at 3pm.

We will stand together for peace, justice and a free Palestine. 

Bring flowers. Bring your people. This peace vigil is organised around the fundamental truth that oppression is the root cause of violence.

The root cause of violence is oppression.

For 75 years, Palestinians have faced mass expulsion, ethnic cleansing and dispossession. Since 2007 the people of Gaza, the descendants of hundreds of stolen villages destroyed in the creation of Israel, have been hostages in an open air prison. Gaza has been repeatedly subject to incursions, bombardment and massacres. It must end.

Peace for all is only possible by nourishing a more just future for everyone. The attacks and siege on Gaza, the occupation and colonisation of Palestine and the apartheid system are the root causes of violence. No “war”, no military might and no more murdering of Palestinians will ever change this truth, or bring us any closer to peace. There can never be justice on stolen land. Which is why we invite peace with the words, “Freedom for Palestine!”

What to expect

We will be gathering together to listen to speakers, poetry and lay our flowers. While flowers are not typically used to commemorate the dead in Palestine, to show our commitment to justice and peace in Palestine, we invite you to bring flowers or foliage that is of cultural significance to you.

Elsewhere in Aotearoa: rallies for a free Palestine on Saturday 14th of October

The Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa are organising a “Rally for a Free Palestine” in various other locations around Aotearoa on Saturday, 14 October:

• Auckland – Aotea Square, 2pm
• Palmerston North – The Square, 2pm
• Christchurch – Bridge of Remembrance, 1pm

Other actions you can take

Firstly, and most importantly, if you are not a member already, you can join the movement for peace and justice by joining Justice for Palestine. We are open to members from across Aoteaora.

Also, we know that supporters of Palestine are hungry for suggestions of things to do as the horror in Gaza and throughout Palestine unfolds. Our colleagues at the Australian Palestine Advocacy Network have sent through some great ideas for actions we can all take, so we thought we would pass them on to you all.

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One practical thing we can do every day is to engage with all the media reports about Palestine. As those most engaged with media and Palestine, can you set aside a small part of each day to engage with the media? 

This can include letters to the editor to your nearest major newspaper. It can also involve calling in to talk-back radio. And commenting on media reports posted online, outlets are increasingly putting stories on their social media too.

Possible talking points:

• This wasn’t ‘started’ by Hamas. This is a result of 75 years of Israeli oppression of Palestinians, escalated since the election of the far-right Netanyahu Government last year;
• Israel and Egypt have held the people of Gaza in an open air prison for 16 years, with an inhumane and illegal siege;
• Israel’s bombing in Gaza must be condemned, particularly attacks on civilian infrastructure (you can cite the UN Secretary General statement);
• Netanyahu’s announcement overnight to cut off food, water and electricity supplies from Gaza is a horrific promise of brutal collective punishment;
• Israel is already before the International Criminal Court for its previous attacks on Palestinians, the international community must act to protect Palestinians.
• The West’s double-standard in dealing with Israel and Palestine (see Crikey article here)

Lets do all we can in this moment – Palestinians bearing the brunt of these Israeli assaults need our solidarity.

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We hope to see our Pōneke-based whānau on Sunday afternoon, and keep an eye on our social media for future actions.