The Workers Party NZ is launching a national solidarity campaign to support the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP).

Resistance to the Zionist state of Israel as a political, military and economic entity which is inherently racist and through its policies and actions denies Palestinians their land, their freedom and their rights; is not terrorism.

The PFLP has been one of the leading left secular progressive forces in the Palestinian struggle for justice and emancipation since its inception in 1969. They were the second biggest political force within the Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO), next to Fatah when it was lead by Yasser Arafat. When the PLO entered into the “Peace Process” the PFLP vigorously opposed this path and while remaining a member withdrew its support for the PLO while it continues to pursue this action.

Instead the PFLP sees the path to liberation as a single secular state in all of Palestine, with the right of return for Palestinian refugees and where all people regardless of race or religion have equal rights.

The PFLP continues to struggle both militarily and politically for the single secular state and fights alongside all Palestinian forces that oppose the Zionist state of Israel.

We believe that it is the responsibility of the progressive left in the west to show solidarity with the progressive left in Palestine. The Workers Party sees the PFLP as the most consistent and progressive left force in Palestine and we believe that it is the duty of progressive people in New Zealand to support their struggle.

One of the important points of the Solidarity Campaign is to support the right of Palestinians to all forms of resistance including armed resistance. In many western nations the PFLP has been branded as a terrorist organisation, we believe it is the right of any people facing a military occupation to resist.

We call for:

1. The removal of the PFLP from terrorist designations and

2.       The immediate release of Ahmad Sa’adat, General Secretary of the PFLP who is being held in solitary confinement in an Israeli jail

The campaign is being launched at 11:30 a.m. Saturday the 30th of May at the Wellington Central Library on the Mezzanine floor. All those who wish to support Palestinian Resistance can purchase a T-shirt at the launch, give donations or order on-line from http://www.workersparty.org.nz   or contact the Workers Party directly in your area.

All profits from the T-Shirts and Donations received will be given to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.

END.

A solidarity demo at Auckland university was held at lunch time today to protest against the expulsion of Victoria university students who burnt the NZ flag.

PRESS RELEASE

Victoria University has disenrolled three students for an anti-war protest around Anzac day, and issued a warning to another student. Deborah Willis, Dean of the Humanities faculty, has disenrolled Joel Cosgrove and Alastair Reith, claiming a flag burning protest they held was serious misconduct. Ian Anderson who filmed the protest outside the Mount Street bar on campus has also been disenrolled, and Marika Pratley who was present, was issued a warning. The university has also banned all four from the Mount Street bar. The protest on 6 May was to highlight New Zealand involvement in wars of aggression from the Boer War, the World Wars, Vietnam to Afghanistan.

All four students are members of the Workers Party.

“The 20 second flag burning, which took place outside, in the rain, posed no danger to anyone” said Workers Party secretary Daphna Whitmore. “Universities are supposed to be the critical conscience of society. The actions of the University are political harassment and an attack on political freedom of expression on campus” she said.

The students are rejecting the university’s draconian actions against them and say they will continue to attend classes. They are calling on staff and other students to support their right to freedom of expression. END

Contact Daphna Whitmore 029 4949865   Joel Cosgrove 027 6009282