No pride in Israeli apartheid! Say no to pinkwashing!
Protestaktion auf dem Motzstraßenfest am 17. Juli 2016 in Berlin
Today, members of Berlin Against Pinkwashing engaged in a peaceful yet powerful action to confront the Israeli propaganda “information” stand at the biggest Gay and Lesbian street festival in Berlin. Our friends and comrades staged a die-in to remind people that whilst the Israeli State is busy with its cynical LGBT PR campaign, Palestine is still colonised and Palestinians are still living under illegal occupation.
We held banners reading “2,300 dead in Gaza, you can’t Pinkwash this!” and recited a speech in German and English saying: “There is no space here for war criminals. Israel colonises millions of Palestinians and yet promotes itself as a human rights haven. You can’t Pinkwash Israeli Apartheid! Crimes against humanity are crimes against LGBQIT!”
Though we were entirely peaceful and non-confrontational, we were truly shocked by the hostile over-reaction from the organisers and the police. A journalist who was covering the protest was physically assaulted by a representative of the Israeli Embassy.
We were not approached by any of the organisers throughout the action, however, AFTER we had finished the action and had left the festival, we were followed and then stopped by a group of plain-clothed men who physically assaulted a member of our group and needlessly broke our banners. They then detained the entire group, not giving any clear reason why and took all of our details.
They then informed us that the organisers were going to press charges, despite the fact that they did not attempt any kind of dialogue or interaction throughout our action.
Well, this has only confirmed beliefs and convictions!! We will NEVER allow the “othering” of Palestinians to go unquestioned. We will not let islamophobia be instrumentalised in our names to create a false narrative OR to further the agenda of Israel’s apartheid state.
Action today by @berlinagainstpinkwashing against the presence of an Israeli stand sponsored by the Israeli embassy in the lgbt street festival motzstrassefest. The action was to denounce pinkwashing- the instrumentalization of lgbtqi issues by Israel to cover its crimes against the Palestinian people.
