Friday, March 7, 2008

What "Israeli Apartheid Week" looks like:


Photo Essay: Israeli Apartheid Week Montreal

    by photojournalist Ion Etxebarria.
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In the heart of Montreal Denis Kosseim, of the Coalition for Justice and Peace in Palestine (CJPP) waves a Palestinian flag during a solidarity demonstration with Gaza on Saturday, February 9th.

As part of the international Israeli Apartheid Week that occurred in cities across Canada and around the world, a series of events occurred in Montreal to mark Israeli Apartheid Week in February 2008. Israeli Apartheid Week is now in its fourth consecutive year and in 2008, Israeli Apartheid Week occurs during the 60th year of the Palestinian Nakba (”catastrophe”)– 60 years of dispossession, ethnic cleansing and exile for Palestinians resulting from the creation of the state of Israel.


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Marc-André Faucher of executive council for L’Association pour une Solidarité Syndicale Étudiante (ASSÉ), a Quebec student union representing tens-of-thousands of students in Quebec speaks at a solidarity rally with Gaza outside of Concordia University on Saturday, February 9th.


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Panelists speak at an event entitled ‘Palestine: Solidarity in the Academy’ at the School of Community and Public Affairs at Concordia, from left to right in the photo is; Sophie Schoen of L’Association pour une Solidarité Syndicale Étudiante (ASSÉ), Toufic Haddad Palestinian author-activist, Ronald Cameron president of Fédération nationale des enseignantes et enseignants du Québec (FNEEQ).


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Ronald Cameron president of Fédération nationale des enseignantes et enseignants du Québec (FNEEQ), the proviences largest teachers union speaks at a panel during Israeli Apartheid Week at Concordia University.


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Globalize the Intifada reads the writing on a Palestinian flag that is flying during a demonstration in solidarity with the people of Gaza.


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Hundreds gather in downtown Montreal for a snap demonstration in solidarity with Gaza, calling into question the Canadian government’s complicity towards Israeli war crimes in Gaza, while appealing for people in Montreal to support the international boycott movement against Israel.


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Ali Mobader of the Center Communautaire Musulman de Montreal speaks at a demonstration endorsed by over thirty organizations in Montreal, including major labor unions in the provience in solidarity with the Palestinian people in Gaza.


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Dalia Merhi of Tadamon! introduces Artists Against Apartheid II, the second of a series of cultural events in Montreal aiming to unite Montreal artists in support of the international boycott of Israel launched by Palestinian organizations in 2005.


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Ghada Chehade, a Palestinian poet & social justice activist with family roots in Nahr el-Bared refugee camp read at Artists Against Apartheid II on Sunday, February 17th, 2008.


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Celebrated spoken-word poet and author Kaie Kellough, read poetry at Artists Against Apartheid II in Montreal on Sunday, February 17th, 2008.


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Mohamed Mehdi, singer / song-writer and member of the Kalmunity Vibe Collective, performs at Artists Against Apartheid II.


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Marc Tetrault, Montreal reggae artist performing with Jai Guru at Artists Against Apartheid II.


Ion Etxebarria at the present studies photography and collaborates with The Link – Concordia’s Independent Newspaper, Ion has always had a love-relationship with the media, but has participated in various media collectives both in North America and Europe.



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