Palestine is our compass, and the needle points to liberation. In this solidarity work, it is common to hear the phrase “Palestine liberated us.” With this phrase we acknowledge Palestine for reminding us of our agency, the need to navigate the world in a way that challenges the alienation of individualism as we create the community connections needed for a liberated future. For this long fight, love is our energy source. Every action, every risk is done out of love. Last October, three of us from Newfoundland joined Canada Boat to Gaza to sail aboard the Freedom Flotilla Coalition’s vessel Conscience to break the illegal siege on Gaza. It is clear that we must take direct action in whatever ways we can to end the genocide and challenge the systems of oppression that allow genocide to become background noise to the Olympics, the Superbowl, holidays, and whatever else can be used to distract us. Sailing wasn’t a decision, it was the answer when we asked “what can we do now?”
Sailing is still the answer and will continue to be the answer when faced with the genocidal violence of the occupation. The blockade is a tool of genocide, being used to starve Palestinians, and to deny access to lifesaving supplies like medicines, fuels, and shelters. In the face of this genocide, we must escalate our efforts to break the siege. For these actions to work, we need the support of our community and we need to have networks of solidarity that we can draw on. We need your help to raise $100,000 in the next 6 weeks to purchase a Canadian boat, so we can join the biggest fleet yet to deliver crucial aid to Gaza.
Help us reach our $100k goal with a donation here
Most people wouldn’t think that Newfoundland is a place hitting milestones for community organizing and activism. But since it’s already a place that feels like everyone knows everyone, mobilization becomes a matter of launching the first ripple. Our community can be and has been mobilized at a moment’s notice.
At the end of May 2024, we joined students worldwide by setting up an encampment called “Yazan’s Yard” on our campus at Memorial University of Newfoundland. A couple weeks later we moved indoors starting our occupation of the Arts and Administration building after campus enforcement tried to prevent us from using the building for a teach-in on intersectional feminism. We maintained our occupation for almost a month, hosting community events, workshops, and teach-ins. We were successful in getting disclosure and a meeting with the Board of Regents to outline our demands including divestment. Unfortunately, Memorial continues to be invested in weapons manufacturing and in companies complicit in genocide and apartheid in Palestine. The vote against divestment and the use of police force to dismantle the encampment and remove students from the Arts and Administration building happened in quick succession. The three of us were arrested as we asserted our charter protected right to protest. Despite the late hour, members of the community showed up as witnesses to the criminalization of students. The next day we had one of the biggest turn outs for our weekly protests organized by Palestine Action YYT, and on the following Monday, around 100 people showed up at 8am to protest in front of the building we were forcibly removed from.
For the 2024 Pride festival, St. John’s Pride, along with Fredericton Pride, committed to BDS; giving up sponsorships from the likes of TD Bank to create a pride that understands the priorities of our community. As a result, we had pride festival that we could be proud of closed out with a parade led by Palestine Action YYT. The Queer community in St. John’s has amazing and talented organizers and activists who have also come together to form Queers for Palestine St. John’s. In the last year, queer art and celebrations have been turned into fundraisers to raise money to provide essential material support on the ground in Gaza.
Flotillas are a legacy of solidarity, they are a symbol of collective struggle and collective liberation. Despite the illegal attacks on our efforts, we continue to come back. No matter how they attack us, they will fail to break this movement. We are unstoppable because we bring the fight to all fronts, wave after wave we get bigger and stronger. Every sailing, proves the collective power of the people. Our presence on the Conscience mobilized people on all fronts including labour organizers and average citizens. During our five days as political prisoners, our community mobilized three protests to draw attention from leaders who continue to be accomplices to genocide. But in our streets and our seas, in our joy and our rage, we let love guide our actions towards collective liberation because none of us are free until all of us are free.
Palestinians of Gaza still call on people of conscience. We will continue to sail until the Israel’s illegal siege is broken. This year we will sail again, as CBG and FFC join Thousand Madleens to Gaza and Global Sumud Flotilla in the biggest fleet yet. To make this happen, we need your help. As repression increases against us, we aren’t backing down – we’re escalating for Gaza. We need to raise $100 000 by the end of March to purchase a new Canadian boat so we can make our mission possible.
Support us with a donation here
Everyone has a place in resistance, help in sharing our messages, creating connections across the country, and donations/fundraising to make this mission possible.
Please continue to help us spread the word about our campaigns here
In solidarity,
Dev
Ramadan mubarak to all those observing!
