“We stand with you”: Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters announces Palestine solidarity forum in Brazil

Ali Abunimah Activism and BDS Beat 29 March 2012

Roger Waters, British rock legend and co-founder of the group Pink Floyd, visits Israel’s wall surrounding the West Bank town of Bethlehem, 21 June 2006.

MaanImages Magnus Johansson

Legendary UK musician, Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters, has reiterated his strong support for the Palestinian campaign for self-determination in a statement announcing a forthcoming conference in Brazil to support and expand the global movement for Palestinian rights.

Waters’ is a long-standing supporter of the Palestinian campaign to boycott, divest from and sanction Israel.

The World Social Forum Free Palestine will take place in November 2012 in Porto Alegre.

“The object will be to create an international gathering there,” said Waters, “that will encourage the basic human instinct in all men and women of good faith to unite in support of the Palestinian people in their struggle for self determination.”

Waters visited Palestine in 2006 and painted graffiti on Israel’s apartheid wall in the occupied West Bank.

The visit, and Waters’ support for BDS, came after Palestinians appealed to Waters to cancel a concert in Tel Aviv, an appeal the artist heeded.

Since that time, Waters observed in his statement, “All over the world, our movement is growing.”

Full statement by Roger Waters

Rio de Janeiro Wednesday 28th March 2012

Since visiting Israel and the occupied territories in 2006, I have been part of an international movement to support the Palestinian people in their struggle for freedom, justice and equality.

I am honored to have been asked by the Palestinian BDS National Committee, to announce an initiative, to hold the World Social Forum Free Palestine in Porto Alegre, Brazil in November of this year, in cooperation with the Brazilian social movement and international civil society networks.

The object will be to create an international gathering there, that will encourage the basic human instinct in all men and women of good faith to unite in support of the Palestinian people in their struggle for self determination.

All over the world, our movement is growing.

Encouraged by events like the one coming here to Brazil, our voice will grow.

We will continue our call for an end to the Israeli occupation of Palestinian land, for the tearing down of The Walls of colonization and apartheid, for the creation of a Palestinian state with its capital in Jerusalem, for the granting of full and equal rights to the Arab-Palestinian citizens of Israel and for promoting the rights of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes as required by the Geneva convention, as stipulated in UN resolution 194, in 1949 and as restated by the International Court of Justice on the 9th of July 2004.

I find myself greatly encouraged by the growth of this movement in Israel, particularly among young Jewish Israelis, not least ‘Boycott From Within,’ With whom I am in contact.

We stand with you.

Events in Israel and the occupied territories are not widely or accurately reported in the west. The coming World Social Forum Free Palestine in Porto Alegre will help to break down The Walls of misinformation and complicity.

I urge people of conscience to support this forum and help make it a turning point in the international solidarity with the Palestinian people.

The truth will set us free

In Solidarity,

Roger Waters

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Comments

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AbeBird replied on

OK' stay with Roger and leave alone Israel. I think that it is the shortest way to peace. But as long as you are terrorizing the ME and sending rockets on Israel, the "Wall", I mean the fence, is only a life rescue measure that irritates the Anti Semites.

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jmm replied on

I wish Mr. Waters would concentrate more on new music than regurgitated political views and regurgitated music.

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Luca replied on

It's sad, but still today there is a great ignorance about the true history of Israel (with the ethnic cleansing of palestinian people) and about the present state of apartheid and abuse in Palestine, and a strong prejudice towards palestinian people..... I think your contribute is really important, thank you s much

Ali Abunimah

Co-founder of The Electronic Intifada and author of The Battle for Justice in Palestine, now out from Haymarket Books.

Also wrote One Country: A Bold-Proposal to End the Israeli-Palestinian Impasse. Opinions are mine alone.