On 29th October, representatives of CAPJPO Europpalestine, a French BDS group, are to appear in a French court in Paris, to answer charges that publishing the above video of a BDS action that took place in July 2009 at a Carrefour supermarket in Avry, constituted an "offense of incitement to discrimination, hatred or violence against a group of people on account of their belonging to the Israeli nation." The action was sponsored by a long list of organizations, including IJAN and the New Anti-Capitalist Party. The plaintiff, the "National Bureau of vigilance against antisemitism, is looking for opportunities to promote repression of Palestine solidarity activism, and the French state is more than happy to oblige. CAPJPO is asking everybody to host this video in solidarity with their struggle against this spurious accusation of racism, which targets political expression, uses laws against racism to defend war crimes, and is a scandal given the magnitude of the real racism that is spearheaded by the state of Israel and defended by this judicial action. So please host this video.We are asked also to write to
Monsieur le Procureur de la République près du Tribunal de Grande Instance de Paris Palais de Justice 14, quai des Orfèvres, 75001 Paris, France,
and ask to be included among those charged for racial incitement.
Likewise, please take action to protest this type of attempt to persecute activists and to declare solidarity with Palestinians "racist."This latest judicial persecution is not a single incident but a campaign: This month will come to appeal the conviction of Sakina Arnaud for racial incitement for having damaged an Israeli product packaging. Next month, three activists from Perpignian, Yamina Tadjeur, Jeanne Rousseau et Bernard Cholet From "Collective 66 for Peace and Justice in Palestine" are going to be tried for BDS. Later in October come to trial the cases of Green Party activist Alima Boumedien-Thiery and Anti-Capitalist Party activist, Omar Salouti. There are probably many more in the pipeline.
Please let the Paris court know that this is not a "French" matter. It is a universal human rights matter, and that you took notice!