Labour for Palestine Marches with Handala in Labour Day Parade

On September 3rd, Labour for Palestine, a network of rank and file activists involved in promoting the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions campaign against Israeli Apartheid across Canadian unions marched in the annual Labour Day parade.

To mark the 20th anniversary of the assassination of Palestinian artist Naji El-Ali (creator of the character Handala) organizers build an 8ft Handala and marched through the streets of Toronto chanting “Freedom for Palestine, Justice for Palestine”. Five thousand post cards explaining the BDS campaign and urging trade unionists to get involved in the struggle against Israeli Apartheid, as they did in the struggle against South African Apartheid, were distributed. There was very good reception for the contingent, many workers from other contingents came over to support and march with Labour for Palestine under the large banner “Stand Up for Palestinian Workers”. Representatives from Palestine House Cultural and Community Center also attended the march, and gave valuable assistance in the construction of the Palestine float.

The exploitation of Palestinian workers and the destruction of the Palestinian economy are pillars of Israeli occupation and apartheid. On February 11, 2007, the Palestinian workers' federations and vocational and professional trade unions issued a call for workers solidarity to:

. Boycott and divest from Israel
. Work towards sanctions upon Israel
. Boycott the Histadrut (Israeli trade union federation)

They appealed for such actions "until Israel stops its crimes against the Palestinian people and implements international law and human rights." (for full text see http://www.stopthewall.org/downloads/pdf/S-F2.pdf).

Across the world unions are responding to this call by passing boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) resolutions (for a list of world-wide unions supporting BDS see http://www.stopthewall.org/downloads/pdf/listBDS.pdf).

For more information about Labour for Palestine or to get involved please email labour@caiaweb.org

Pictures of March: http://www.raps.ca/photos/labour-day/2007/index.html
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Labour for Palestine is a network of activists involved in promoting and strengthening the BDS campaign across a variety of Canadian unions as a sub-committee of the Coalition Against Israeli Apartheid (CAIA). Labour for Palestine recently responded to an anti-boycott statement singed by US labour leaders (for full text of response see: http://www.caiaweb.org/node/339)

In March 2006, Labour for Palestine launched a 106-page reader exploring themes such as the history of the Palestinian struggle, Zionism and the Israeli labour movement, Canadian ties to Israeli apartheid, the global campaign of boycott, divestment and sanctions, and commentary around the CUPE Ontario resolution in support of BDS. The reader can be purchased online from the Toronto Women's Bookstore for Cd$13.00