Feb 23rd - Kingston Ontario
AKA Autonomous Social Centre
75 Queen Street, Kingston, Ontario
7PM
Contact: Avi - grandfunk.cfrc ( from ) gmail.com

A Short description of “Anarchist Against The Wall”

We, the Anarchists Against the Wall, are working to oppose the Israeli wall (officially known as 'The Separation Barrier') which is being built on Palestinian land. Our aim is to stop the construction and dismantle the parts of the wall which have already been built. We use direct action when possible and also organize Israelis to Join the Palestinian popular non violent resistance to the wall. We have worked very intensively for nearly five years demonstrating and preparing for direct actions. We have worked with dozens of villages all over the West Bank and participated in hundreds of actions. When in the West Bank, our actions are always joint actions with popular committees in Palestinian villages. We believe that direct actions have been effective in publicizing the fact that there is Israeli opposition to the wall and the popular resistance has succeeded in increasing the political cost of constructing the wall.

The construction of the wall is a major step in a long term Israeli project of Palestinian dispossession. The wall is especially harmful because its route is drawn in a way that would effectively annex to Israel large parts of the territories occupied in 1967,and divide the rest into isolated cantons. Together with other Israeli repressive measures, the wall would make Palestinian life and social organization almost impossible. For much more on the effects of the wall see various B'Tselem reports [1]. The wall is also especially harmful in that it establishes permanent facts on the ground. Its construction is the largest construction project in Israeli history and is four times the length of the Berlin wall.

Like many times before, the Palestinian non violent resistance has been met with violent repression which includes shock grenades, beatings, tear gas, rubber bullets and sometimes live ammunition all being used against non violent unarmed demonstrators. 12 demonstrators have been killed so far, and countless wounded. We believe that our participation as Israelis have significantly contributed to the viability of the popular resistance by reducing the amount of violence the Israeli army uses. As violent as the repression currently is, there is no doubt that it would have been far worse if not for the presence of Israelis at the demonstrations. In fact, the army itself admits it.

Over the last five years we have taken part in hundreds of demonstrations and perhaps 20 direct actions of various types: from damaging the constructed parts of the wall to lock-downs and theatrical art installations. For much more on our past activities and more background information see the press clippings section of our new web site: http://www.awalls.org

The activities we participate in are subject to legal repression directed at Israelis and more severely, against Palestinians. In order to protect the demonstrators and participants in direct actions from legal repression and continue our part of the resistance we need to be able to pay for legal expenses. Available pro bono legal support is not able to handle the amount of work needed. On average we probably have 2 people arrested at a demonstration every week, every one of these arrests can lead to a court case that can take years. In addition, over the course of several years we were charged with close to 70 indictments, about half of which are still pending.

Over the last four months, a very intense struggle has been waged by the village of Nilin. The price to the village has been tragic, in two separate incidents the army has murdered a 10 year old and a 17 year old and severely wounded another man. Countless others have been injured and arrested. In response to the emergency AATW decided to raise money for legal support for the village. The risks to Palestinians in Israels segregated legal system are huge, from arbitrary arrests to high bail and being denied the right to meet a lawyer. All of these and more have been used against the people of Nilin and if it wasn't for our excellent attorney, Gaby Lasky, who defends them the situation would have been even worse. The work of Lasky, the costs of bail and other expenses are vitally needed to the struggle in Nilin and other villages.

This fundraising and educational tour will raise money to support this struggle, specifically legal costs for both Palestinians and Israelis arrested in the course of protests.

This tour will feature Shachaf Polokow. Born in Beersheva, Israel in 1979, Polakow has been politically active since the age of 12 in different political groups both for justice for the Palestinians and environmental justice. As member of Anarchists Against The Wall he has been working with the popular movement in the West Bank against the occupation, the construction of the wall and the Israeli "apartheid" policy. Polakow is also active in some other fields of social struggle inside Israel, from working for the rights of African refugees to supporting the Palestinian struggle in the West Bank. In addition, Polakow is also part of a street medic group that helps participants in demonstrations who are injured. Since 2007 he has been a member of Activestills, which documents political activism and social struggles and also acts for social change through the use of photography as a vehicle for raising awareness.