Tomorrow is International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, and events will take place in Shop Street and Mainguard Street and again on Sunday outside the Franciscan Abbey.
The International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People is a United Nations-organised observance, with events held at the UN headquarters in New York, and at its offices in Geneva, Vienna, and Nairobi. It marks the anniversary of resolution 181, the UN proposal which recommended a partition of British Mandate Palestine in 1947.
The plan was largely welcomed by the Jewish Agency for Palestine, but was rejected by Arab leaders and governments as they were opposed to partitioning the area, arguing that it violated the principles of national self-determination in the UN Charter which granted people the right to decide their own destiny.
The Knocknacarra Palestine Network is organising the events, which will also involve reference to the issue of climate change, given that Saturday is Climate Action Day 2019.
Tomorrow's events will take place at the junction of Shop Street/Mainguard Street from 12.30pm to 1.30pm. The organisers are asking those attending to wear red, a white 'nuclear suits' if available, or combat gear. The protest will highlight the link between militarism and the climate emergency.
"There is a sense among some activists that climate protests and peace protests are not connected," said a KPN spokesperson, "but climate change, militarism, the vulnerability of Palestinians living under Israeli occupation, all that affects their water, poverty, resources, economics. Palestinians already recognise that they will suffer the worse impacts of climate chaos."
On Sunday, KPN will be outside the Franciscan Abbey, St Francis Street, to distribute its Kairos Palestine leaflets to the public. Those interested in helping should be there from 11am.
