In Solidarity with Black Liberation
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As an organization committed to supporting a grassroots justice movement for Palestinian freedom, we see the Palestinian struggle as connected with the long struggle for racial justice in the U.S., and with anti-colonial and freedom struggles everywhere.
It is impossible to separate recent anti-Black violence from this nation’s foundation in violence against Indigenous, Black and other people of color here and throughout the globe. From the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police, to the disproportionate and violent police response to those protesting his murder, to the sinister threat of police brutality against Christian Cooper for bird-watching in a park, to the murder of Ahmaud Arbury while jogging, and the murder of thousands more whose names we cannot forget, the assault on Black lives is the unmistakable product of a white supremacy that today is on full display.
This violence is old, and the health and humanitarian crisis resulting from the pandemic has only further exposed and exacerbated the racial injustices that created the U.S., and the entrenched policies that maintain systems of racial, economic and other injustice.
The uprising in Minneapolis in the wake of George Floyd’s murder reflects the outrage and frustration with a society that values property over Black lives, that criminalizes poverty, and that refuses to confront its ugly truths. Like Palestinian intifadas, people are reacting not to one incidence of violence, but to decades and centuries of systematic racist oppression. They are shaking off a system that tells them they don’t matter, and saying “no more, enough is enough.”
Palestine Legal stands in solidarity with those who call not only for accountability, but for transformative change – one that acknowledges and repairs historical wrongs, and leads to justice and collective liberation.
We share here a few thought pieces, resources and ways to contribute:
Kristian Davis Bailey’s “10 Thoughts on Anti-Black Violence”
Center for Constitutional Rights blog: https://ccrjustice.org/home/blog/2020/05/28/anti-black-violence-during-pandemic-double-crisis-dire-moment
National Lawyers Guild statement: https://www.nlg.org/nlg-in-solidarity-with-minneapolis-following-police-killing-of-george-floyd/
Support Minneapolis organizing:
Connect with grassroots organization in Minnesota here: https://minnesotafreedomfund.org/
Support Black Visions Collective, organizing in and for Black communities: https://www.blackvisionsmn.org/
Support Reclaim the Block, organizing to shift resources from police to communities: https://www.reclaimtheblock.org/
Educational resources:
There is a wealth of information and resources for us to better understand the history of the Black struggle for liberation, its connection with the Palestinian liberation struggle, and current movements for justice. Here's a start:
Critical Resistance, an organization working to abolish the prison industrial complex, has resources explaining the abolitionist approach, here, with specific resources on abolishing policing and abolishing jailing.
MPD150 produced this zine on "Building a Police-Free Future" on the 150th anniversary of the Minneapolis police department.
Arab Resource and Organizing Center's (AROC) resource on Alternatives to Calling the Police in Arab and Muslim Communities, here.
Watch a recording of ADC's webinar on Palestinian Solidarity with Black Communities here.
Ways to get involved and get help:
Look to trusted local organizers for the best ways to join the movements in your community and maximize collective impact, but here is some general information:
For lawyers and law students, there are lots of ways to provide legal support for protesters being brutalized, arrested, charged, and incarcerated for exercising their rights. Sign up here with Law4BlackLives to provide support. Look up your local National Lawyers Guild (NLG) chapter to plug into Legal Observing and protester representation and other legal support work for mass protests around the country.
For college students, join efforts to get your campus to divest from police. See UnKoch My Campus resources here.
For activists if you need Legal Observers at your protest, or if you need legal representation, call your local NLG chapter or hotline, here. Be prepared when protesting and in encounters with law enforcement by Knowing Your Rights. See NLG, ACLU, and Center for Constitutional Rights resources.
For Palestinians and Arabs, sign these statements, and join efforts of grassroots groups working for collective liberation.
Petition and links to organizations: Arabs for Black Lives
For all of us, join and/or donate to local and national Black-led organizations doing the day-to-day work towards Black liberation. Here are a few leading the charge:
Heed the Movement for Black Lives Call to Action, here.
Join and/or support the work of Black-led organizations around the country, starting locally. Here's a list of Minnesota groups, and there are many more around the country, including Assata's Daughters, BYP100, Dream Defenders, and Red Nation, to start.
Support bail funds working to keep people out of jail, and challenging the money bail system that criminalizes poverty. Look up your local bail fund here.
Updated June 15, 2020: For every $20,000 we raise through July 15, we will donate $1,500 to Law for Black Lives, National Black Food and Justice Alliance, and National Bail Out to support the Black-led movement for racial justice, with the goal of donating $15,000 in total.
Updated July 15, 2020: Thanks to you support we raised $15,000 total for Law for Black Lives, the National Black Food and Justice Alliance, and National Bail Out. We encourage everyone to continue supporting Black-led organizing.