Artists for Palestine UK is publishing (below) a longer version of the open letter published in tomorrow’s print edition of the Guardian, with the full list of signatories.
The statement responds to news that the award-winning band Young Fathers were invited, disinvited and re-invited to the Ruhrtriennale arts festival in Germany, following demands that they renounce their support for the global movement for boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) in support of Palestinian rights. The band refused, and re-affirmed their support for human rights principles. Now, 79 artists, writers and producers from all fields of the arts in the UK, the US, Germany and beyond, plus public figures including Desmond Tutu, Naomi Klein, Noam Chomsky and Angela Davis, speak out about what they say is an “alarming form of censorship, “blacklisting” and repression”.
No Palestine Exception to Freedom of Speech[1]
We, the undersigned artists, writers and public figures, are disturbed by attempts in Germany to impose political conditions on artists supporting Palestinian human rights. We are glad that the international outcry has convinced the Ruhrtriennale arts festival to reverse its repressive decision to cancel a performance by Young Fathers, after they refused to distance themselves from the global Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement for Palestinian rights.
Ruhrtriennale’s earlier decision was a particularly alarming form of censorship, “blacklisting” and repression.
We welcome the stance of another German festival, Morgenland, in resisting a similar attempt to suppress free speech.
We stand firmly against all forms of racism and identity-based discrimination, including anti-Blackness, sexism, antisemitism, Islamophobia and homophobia. Conflating nonviolent measures to end Israel’s illegal occupation and human rights violations with anti-Jewish racism is false and dangerous. It denies Palestinians their right to peaceful protest in pursuit of freedom, justice and equality and undermines the struggle against antisemitism.
While we may hold diverse views on the Palestinian-led BDS movement, we are united in considering it a lawful exercise of freedom of expression. Boycotts which are anchored in universal human rights and aimed at achieving justice for marginalized and oppressed communities are a legitimate nonviolent tactic. They have been used worldwide, including against apartheid in South Africa and the Jim Crow segregation laws in the United States.
In affirming this position, we are in agreement with the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the European Union, several European governments, hundreds of European legal scholars, international progressive Jewish organizations and figures, more than two hundred U.S. rabbis and hundreds of European NGOs.
At a time when far right and xenophobic forces are gaining ground, we need to be more vigilant than ever in defending and advocating democratic values, including freedom of conscience and expression.
Signed:
Mai Abu ElDahab, Director, Mophradat
Tunde Adebimpe, Musician
Antonia Alampi, Artistic co-director, SAVVY Contemporary
Nir Alon, Artist
Julia Aranda, Artist
Mohammed Bakri, Actor
Saleh Bakri, Actor
Jeff Barrett, Founder, Heavenly Recordings
Avi Berg, Artist
Yves Berger, artist
Judith Butler, Philosopher
David Calder, Actor
Noam Chomsky, Linguist, philosopher
Julie Christie, Actor
Caryl Churchill, Playwright
Jarvis Cocker, Musician
Molly Crabapple, Artist, writer
Liam Cunningham, Actor
Angela Davis, Political activist, academic
Laurence Dreyfus, Director, Phantasm viol consort
Tania El Khoury, Artist
Brian Eno Composer, producer
Reem Fadda, Curator
David Farr, Writer, director
Chiara Figone, Archive Books/Kabinett/Journal
Marina Fokidis, Curator, writer
Rebecca Foon, Musician
Peter Gabriel, Musician, founder, WOMAD Festival
Dani Gal, Artist
Danny Glover, Actor
Carl Gosling, Heavenly Recordings
Ian Ilavsky, Co-founder, Constellation Records
Iman Issa, Artist
Ghada Karmi, Writer, academic
Aki Kaurismaki, Film director
A.L. Kennedy, Writer
Naomi Klein, Writer
Judith Knight, Co-director, Artsadmin
Hari Kunzru, Writer
Paul Laverty, Screenwriter
Mike Leigh, Writer, director
Mason Leaver-Yap, Associate Curator, KW Institute for Contemporary Art
Ken Loach, Film director
Jens Maier-Rothe, Curator
Jumana Manna, Artist
Miriam Margolyes, Actor
Yann Martel, Author
Massive Attack, Band
Thurston Moore, Musician
David Morrissey, Actor
Nicholas Mirzoeff, Cultural theorist
Danny Mitchell, Heavenly Recordings
Leil Zahra Mortada, Filmmaker
Viggo Mortensen, Actor, writer, artist
Karma Nabulsi, Professor of Politics
Mira Nair, Film director
Bonaventure Ndikung, Founder, Savvy Contemporary
Paul Northup, Director, Greenbelt Festival
Rebecca O’Brien, Film Producer
Ilan Pappe, Historian
Jocelyn Pook, Composer
Cat Power, Musician
Jeremie Pujau, Artist
Fanny-Michaela Reisin, President, International League for Human Rights
Michael Rosen, Children’s poet, broadcaster
Eran Schaerf, Artist
James Schamus, Screenwriter, producer, director
Eyal Sivan, Documentary filmmaker
Harry Leslie Smith, Writer
John Smith, Artist, filmmaker
Patti Smith, Musician, poet
Jesse Smith, Musician, activist
Desmond Tutu, Archbishop Emeritus of Cape Town, South Africa
Alice Walker, Writer
Roger Waters, Musician
Eyal Weizman, Architect
Vivienne Westwood, Designer
Don Wilkie, Co-founder, Constellation Records
Tim Wilson, Founder, VAULT Festival
Tim Wise, Writer
Je suis pour l exécution des décisions de L ONU contre la violation de droits de l homme contre une chaise d Israël a l Lonu par e que Israël est une bande de mafia sioniste déteste la paix contre tout ce qui est humain …l archive d Israël soit sur les médias soit sur les journaux sont suffisant pour inculper Israël …
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Reblogged this on leonaleecully.
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Thank you all so very much for bravery and humanitarian act! Your solidarity with tge palestinian people is greatly appreciated! #FreePalestine 🇵🇸 #FreeGaza 🇵🇸 #BDS ✊🏿💪🏽🇵🇸👊🏾✌🏽🇵🇸🎸❤️!
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If USA would get behind the BDS program and make Israel Lobbies like AIPAC and ADL as foreign agencies the light of day may shine on our country.
But as long as tRump Is in the Oval Office we ae screwed.
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All decent people will support the oppressed wherever they are.BDS movement is not antisemtic,the right wing Israeli government is pushing very hard to illegetimis the BDS movement,Donald Duck government is helping the Israeli government by putting sanctions on any organisation which support the BDS movement.
I hope Europe will not succumb to the pressure from the Israeli Apartheid state and the US government and follow suit..
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the ppl of gaza need to shop for basic essentials. this boycott does not serve them. it serves you. virtue signaling with out critical thinking. agree about politcal black lists, that is a good point.
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Laura, we take advice from Palestinian civil society in Gaza about what they do or don’t need. We suggest everyone should do the same.
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