The Palestine solidarity human rights organization BDS South Africa will be joining the Young Communist League of South Africa (YCLSA) later today (Monday 19 May) at 11h00 the Nigerian High Commission in Pretoria/Tshwane (971 Francis Baard Street).
 
BDS South Africa will be joining the YCLSA in demanding the release of the more than 200 Nigerian school girls abducted by Boko Haram. The tragedy of the 200 school girls is repugnant and is condemned in the strongest terms. As human rights activists we work towards making this world a better, safer and more just place, where children can be children. The abduction, torture or enslavement of children anywhere in the world is unacceptable whether by Boko Haram in Nigeria, the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) in Uganda, the Israeli army in Palestine, or anywhere else in the world.
 
As BDS South Africa, we agree with the YCLSA that the African Union must take a lead in the complete emancipation of our continent and its people – whether this is the longer term of all of our people from economic enslavement or the immediate threat to the life and freedom of our sisters in Nigeria. While, as part of international solidarity of all humankind we welcome the support of all people in our struggles, we reiterate our opposition to the way in which some countries may use the pretext of human rights to further their own imperial and military agendas on the African continent. Nigeria’s women are not for sale; nor is our continent.

 

In Johannesburg today supporters of BDS South Africa including the Right2Know Campaign will also be holding a picket and protest at 11h00 outside of the South Gauteng High Court (Corner Pritchard & Von Brandis Streets, Johannesburg) in support of BDS South Africa and the principle of Freedom of Expression. Inside court a case between BDS South Africa and Continental Outdoor Media will be heard. In 2012 Continental Outdoor Media, after coming under pressure from the Israeli lobby (see here), removed several Palestine solidarity billboards put up in Gauteng by BDS South Africa and the Palestine Solidarity Alliance (PSA). The Palestine solidarity billboards graphically explained the Israeli Occupation of Palestine. In particular, the billboards which were removed, in a series of maps, depicted a shrinking Palestinian territory by an increasing Israeli Occupation over the years. Under the maps, "Palestinian Loss of Land - 1946 to 2010" was printed in large letters.

 

ISSUED ON MONDAY 19 MAY 2014 BY MUHAMMED DESAI ON BEHALF OF BDS SOUTH AFRICA  
 
BOYCOTT, DIVESTMENT AND SANCTIONS AGAINST ISRAEL in SOUTH AFRICA (BDS SOUTH AFRICA)
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