Palestine Solidarity Campaign facts for kids
The Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) is a group in England and Wales that works to support the rights of Palestinians. It started in the UK in 1982. In 2023, a newspaper called The Guardian said it was "Europe’s largest Palestinian rights organisation."
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How the PSC is Organized
The Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) is an activist group based in London. It does not support any specific political party. There are similar groups like the Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign (SPSC) and the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC). The IPSC is a separate group formed in late 2001. Important people like Jeremy Corbyn have been involved with the PSC. Since 2016, the director of the PSC has been Ben Jamal. He is the son of a Palestinian Anglican vicar and an English mother.
Campaigns to Boycott Goods
In 2010, the Trade Union Congress (TUC) agreed to avoid buying products grown in Israeli settlements. The PSC helped organize protests during a concert by the Israel Philharmonic in February 2011. This concert was at the Royal Albert Hall. BBC Radio 3 was broadcasting the concert live. They had to stop the broadcast several times because of the protesters' shouting.
On May 28, 2012, Israel's Habima Theatre company performed in London. The PSC and other BDS groups protested outside the Shakespeare's Globe Theatre. The PSC also worked for two years to stop a trade agreement. This agreement would have recognized Israeli medicine standards as equal to those in Europe. The agreement was passed in October 2012.
Other Activities and Protests
Sarah Colborne, who was then the director of the PSC, was on a ship called the Mavi Marmara. This was during the 2010 flotilla raid. The PSC also organized a protest on March 30, 2012. This protest was for "Land Day" and took place outside the Israeli Embassy in London.
In 2019, the PSC started a campaign against what it called Israeli apartheid. This means they believed Israel was treating people unfairly. The PSC said that universities in the UK were investing money. This money went to companies that were helping Israel break international laws. The PSC created a list of these investments. Also in 2019, the PSC signed a letter with over 200 other groups. They asked the International Criminal Court to investigate actions in the Palestinian territories.
In 2021, the PSC organized a large march in London to support Palestine. More than 180,000 people attended this march. Other events happened in Bristol, Nottingham, and Peterborough. The group was protesting against Israeli actions that had caused many deaths. The Black Lives Matter movement also supported this march.
After events on October 7, 2023, which led to the Gaza war, the PSC became a main organizer of demonstrations. They worked with groups like Friends of Al-Aqsa and the Stop the War Coalition. These demonstrations included a large march in London on October 21, 2023, with about 100,000 people. Another national demonstration on November 11, 2023, had hundreds of thousands of marchers. Local rallies and vigils also took place on December 2, 2023, and November 25, 2023, in London.
On October 8, 2023, Member of Parliament Apsana Begum was seen with the PSC. This was at their stand during the Labour Party conference in Liverpool.
In late October 2023, PSC Director Ben Jamal spoke about statements made by Keir Starmer. He called Starmer's statement about Israel's right to cut off water and electricity to Gaza "grotesque." The large London demonstration on November 11, 2023, caused some discussion. It happened on Armistice Day. Some politicians complained it was "provocative and disrespectful."
See also
- Economic and political boycotts of Israel
- Palestine Action
- Students for Justice in Palestine – also known as Palestine Solidarity Committee
