Anti-Apartheid Wall Campaign: The Sixth Week Against the Apartheid Wall takes to the streets in Argentina

Worldwide Activism

The Sixth Week Against the Apartheid Wall takes to the streets in Argentina
Worldwide Activism , Palestinian Grassroots Anti-Apartheid Wall Campaign, November 12th, 2008

The Sixth Week Against the Apartheid Wall kicked off in Argentina on November 8th, with cultural activities and solidarity actions held in Lezama Park, Buenos Aires. The event was organized by a coalition of organizations, including the Movement for Peace, Sovereignty and Solidarity Among Peoples (MOPASSOL), the Argentine Association for Solidarity with Palestine (AARSOPAL), the Argentine League for the Rights of Man (LADH), the Federation of Organizations and the Argentine-Palestinian Brigada Jorge Calvo of Culture in Motion.

In the early afternoon, a group of artists, social organizations, human rights workers and political activists gathered, with significant media attention, to begin work on their activities. The central event was the painting of a large mural measuring over fifteen metres in length and two metres in height. Painting this mural was an important endeavour, according to Armando de Magdalena, the director of the Brigada Jorge Calvo, who stated that it was an example of cooperative work and collective efforts. As the painting was ongoing, an open radio was made available to the participants, and Romero Sepulveda and Gabriel Sequeira gave musical performances throughout the day.

Over the span of five hours, representatives from various Palestinian and Argentinean solidarity groups gave speeches condemning the construction of the Wall and the destruction that it causes for the Palestinian people. A unified call was made to stop the construction of the Wall, dismantle the sections already built, return all confiscated lands, and compensate Palestinians for all losses. As stated by a representative AARSOPAL, the Wall serves to collectively punish and humiliate the Palestinian population, and it contradicts the norms and principles of international law.

MOPASSOL’s Elisa Mata praised the event, stating that it was “one more example of our solidarity with the Palestinian people. We believe that this activity, and especially the mural, is a way to transmit the Argentinean people’s solidarity with our Palestinian brothers and sisters.” Neither the Palestinians nor their Argentinean supporters will rest until the Palestinians’ inalienable right to self determination is fulfilled. Similarly, Tilda Rabi, the president of the Union of Argentinean-Palestinian Organizations, thanked all of the participants for their solidarity, and affirmed that the entire Palestinian Diaspora appreciate the international efforts to resist the occupation.