JEWISH STUDENT AND ACTIVIST SPEAKING AT ISRAELI APARTHEID WEEK PROTEST IN SANDTON

The South African chapter of the annual Israeli Apartheid Week campaign came to an end on Sunday afternoon on the streets of Sandton at a robust, diverse and successful IAW closing protest (click here for photos).

 

This year's Israeli Apartheid Week (IAW), in its 11th year, was by far the biggest and most sucessful to date. The campaign included over 200 events in more than 45 South African towns and cities.

 

The Israeli lobby and the SA Jewish Board of Deputies attempted to undermine the Israeli Apartheid Week campaign by using the “anti-Semitism” card. They used this card to try and cancel the presence of various Ministers and Government officials from attending IAW events but even in that attempt they failed. To be opposed to Israeli Apartheid is not to be anti-Jewish. We welcome this year’s participation of various Jewish organisations and community members including that of a Jewish student from Wits University who spoke passionately at the closing Israeli Apartheid Week protest in Sandton (click here to watch on YouTube).

VIDEO: SA JEWISH BOARD OF DEPUTIES USES NOTORIOUS CSO SECURITY FALSELY CLAIMING TO BE SA POLICE

This past weekend the Israeli lobby and SA Jewish Board of Deputies with its partner organization the SA Zionist Federation made use of their notorious CSO security at the Israeli Trade Expo hosted at the Sandton Convention Centre. The CSO security intimidated, assaulted and even detained protestors and members of the public. Click here for video footage of a CSO member closing off a public road and falsely claiming to be a Police officer.

BDS South Africa has received complaints from members of the public regarding the aggressive and hostile use of force used against members of the public by the CSO. BDS South Africa thanks members of the public who have submitted photo and video footage which will all be submitted to the relevant authorities (if you have footage of CSO aggression please send to info@bdssouthafrica.com) and we encourage all those that have been harassed and assaulted by members of the CSO to approach the relevant authorities to submit any complaints.

 

The use of force by the SAJBD-founded CSO Security against protestors outside of Israeli events has unfortunately become common place:

 

2009 - Incidents of racist treatment by the CSO took place at a pro-Israeli event hosted at Wits University. The university commissioned an independent investigation by respected advocate Geoff Budlender which resulted in the 2009 Budlender Report (find here).

2013 - The CSO was implicated in extra-judicial and violent assaults on two women protestors, including, amongst others, a former Wits student and the daughter of a senior member of COSATU  (click here for more information on that incident).

 

2014: The CSO carried out background checks amounting to racial profiling at an Israeli concert (click here for article).