100+ Apartheid Free Zones in Europe denounce #CoronaRacism
Over 100 Apartheid Free Zones (AFZ) #SpreadSolidarity from Europe to Palestine in their statement denouncing Corona racism.
The coronavirus crisis, like so many others, does not affect us all equally. Once again, class, race and gender are interacting with existing structures of oppression, putting already vulnerable groups such as migrants, people from vulnerabilized countries, refugees, homeless, unemployed people or people living under occupation and apartheid in an even more dangerous situation.
As Apartheid Free Zones (AFZ), we have long been committed to rejecting and denouncing any kind of discrimination or oppression based on gender, race, social class or religion, among others. It is because of our strong anti-racist commitment that we want to denounce the discrimination to which many racialized people are being subjected in this so-called "war” against COVID-19.
Decades of Israeli colonization and oppression have decimated the Palestinian health-system. For Palestinians, Israel’s #CoronaRacism is at its highest. The Israeli government is failing to adequately publish protective meassures in Arabic; Israeli military forces are dumping Palestinian workers at crowded checkpoints; Israeli prison authorities are denying Palestinian prisoners appropiate sanitization and treatment; and Israel is conditioning allowing COVID-19 related medical equipment into the already battered and besieged Gaza Strip on political concessions from Palestinians, in direct violation of international law.
Based on our commitment to universal human rights, we denounce the securitization and militarization of this health, social and economic crisis. We are not at war. We are not soldiers. We are fighting for a more just, free and equal world for all people. We are fighting for public spending that invests in life, in care and in universal, quality public health and social welfare systems that leave no one behind, wherever they come from and whatever language they speak.
We are concerned that in the exceptional situation of the pandemic in which we live, we are experiencing anti-democratic and in some cases outright authoritarian measures that restrict our rights and freedoms and that we fear may end up becoming the new norm.
Israel is a leading exporter of doctrines and tools of repression, mass surveillance and war crimes, all “field-tested” on the bodies of the captive Palestinian population and then promoted as such in Europe, Latin America, North America, South Asia, and Africa.
That is why now, when the doors of our houses and the borders of our countries are closed, when we in Europe are more isolated than ever, struggling to keep our AFZ businesses and spaces afloat, we want to spread our message of solidarity and make sure it reaches every corner, from our AFZs in Europe and beyond to Palestine.
In the midst of this crisis BDS Italy welcomed 200 new AFZ spaces: “we are staying home, but solidarity isn’t”. It shouldn’t. From the balconies of our homes we salute all communities fighting this pandemic, including the people of Palestine. No more racism, no more discrimination, no more apartheid.
Join our AFZ network, sign our statement
#SpreadSolidarity Stop #CoronaRacism
Together, we are invincible
List of endorsements
Belgium
ABP (association Belgo-Palestinienne)
Antwerp for Palestine
Progress Lawyers Network Brussels
Greece
Artokosmos Bakery (Katerini)
Cobra High Athens
Poetry Bar (Athens)
Taverna Tou Pseira (Katerini)
Yusurum Meze (Athens)
Italy
Ah sQueerTO! (Assemblea Queer Torino)
Alkemia
APD HIC SUNT LEONES
Associaizone Frantz Fanon
Associazione Bianca Guidetti Serra
Associazione Sopra i Ponti
Aula C1 Autogestita
Barnaut
Bazar Taverna Curdo Meticcia
Cambiamo Messina dal Basso
Camilla Coop Emporio di Comunità
Centro Sociale TPO
CentroSociale28maggio
Circolo ARCI Brecht
Circolo Arci Guernelli
Circolo ARCI Thomas Sankara
Circolo arci tunnel
Circolo Città Futura Catania
Confederazione Cobas
Donne in Nero Bologna (coordinamento campagna BDS Bologna) )
Donne in nero Ravenna
Edizioni Q
Ex Opg - Je So' Pazzo
Exaequo- Bottega del Mondo- Bologna
FIOM CGIL Messina provincia
Giosef Torino - Marti Gianello Guida APS
IPRI-reteccp
La bottega del Barbieri
Làbas
Laboratorio sociale "La città di sotto" - Biella
Link Bologna - Studenti Indipendenti
Manituana - laboratorio culturale autogestito
Noi Restiamo Bologna
Noi Restiamo Torino
Potere al Popolo
Progetto Palestina
Rete dei Comunisti Bologna
SENZA CONFINI BREZ MEJA
Studio legale avv.to Gaetano Apicella
Universitari Contro l'Apartheid Israeliana (UCAI)
USB Bologna
Vag61 - Spazio libero autogestito (Bologna)
Paisos Catalans
Ateneu Alt Urgell
Casal Independentista de Sants - Jaume Compte
La Barraqueta de Gràcia
Sardinia
A FORAS - Contra a s'ocupatzione militare de sa Sardigna
Andrea Deledda biologo nutrizionista
Associazione Amicizia Sardegna Palestina
Associazione Antonio Gramsci
Associazione Sarda Contro l'Emarginazione
Associazione sardo senegalese Sunugaal
Associazione Terra Battuta
Bed and breakfast L'antica locanda
Cagliari Social Forum
Caminera Noa
CDR Teatro
Collettivo Furia Rossa
Creazioni Maestrodascia
CUA - Collettivo Universitario Autonomo Casteddu
Domu e Luna B&B
Dr.drer & CRC Posse
Ethicser di Sulis Roberto
Il Manifesto Sardo
Officineperegrine teatro
Parafarmacia Dott. Azzam M.
Pizzeria Federico Nansen
Pizzeria Nuraghe36
Potere al Popolo Cagliari
Sa Domu
Sandal Falastin
Scida - Assòtziu Indipendentista
Spazio Antifascista Nuoro
Su Tzirculu
Teatri Peregrini
Spain
ALEAS IU Castilla la Mancha, área LGTBI
Alkarama
Asamblea Feminista de Somosaguas
Asociación Colombine
ASOCIACIÓN FEMINISTA KÓDIGO MALVA
Association for Human Rights of Andalusia (APDHA)
Atenea Feminist Asociation
AU Sputnik
Bar "La Bici"
CENTRO ANDALUZ DEL PUEBLO JAVIER VERDEJO
Cuero Artesano
Davinci Ingenieros
Entrepueblos Entrepobles Entrepobos Herriarte
ESPACIO VECINAL ARGANZUELA EVA
Farmacia Jesús Arribas
Federación de Asociaciones vecinales Valladolid Antonio Machado
Hypatia
IJAN- INTERNATIONAL JEWISH ANTIZIONIST NETWORK
IU Castilla la Mancha
IU Castilla la Mancha Área de Paz Solidaridad
La Chispa
La Ecoaldea UCM
La Ingobernable - Centro Social de Comunes Urbanos
La Kruel Band
La Tienda Comprometida S. Coop. Pequeña de Iniciativa Social ZAWP.
Librería la Vorágine
Nel Tardíu
Partido Comunista de Almeria (PCE)
Pau Alabajos (singer-songwriter)
Rahma
Rosa Que Te Quiero Rosa (RQTR)
Sodepaz Balamil
USTEA Almería
Vinos Barona
Yolanda Herranz Gomez