[Boycott - Cultural] Palestine group's race harassment case thrown out of court
Edinburgh Evening News 8 April 2010 Charges of racially aggravated conduct against five members of the Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign have been thrown out by a Sheriff.
Victory for the protesters
Around 60 of their supporters burst into applause when Sheriff James Scott delivered his judgement at Edinburgh Sheriff Court today.
Michael Napier, 63; Sofia Macleod, 39; Vanesa Fuertes, 35; Kevin Connor, 40; and Neil Forbes, 55, all of Edinburgh, were charged with having pursued a racially aggravated course of conduct which amounted to harassment of members of the Jerusalem String Quarter as they performed at the International Festival on 29 August, 2008, at Queen's Hall in Edinburgh.
It was alleged that, while acting together, on five separate occasions, they shouted at the players, made comments about the State of Israel which evinced malice towards them based on their membership or supposed membership of an ethnic group or nationality, disrupted the concert and struggled with security and other staff. Two alternative charges accused them of acting in a racially aggravated manner, causing or intending to cause the members of the quartet alarm and distress.
The Sheriff stated that the protesters comments had been clearly directed at the State of Israel and Israeli Army.
Sheriff Scott added that if persons on a public march designed to protest against and publicise alleged crimes committed by a state and its army were afraid to name that state for fear of being charged with racially aggravated behaviour it would render their rights under the Convention worthless. Their placards, he said, would have to read "Genocide in an unspecified part of the Middle East", "Boycott an unspecified state in the Middle East".
He said that the prosecution was unnecessary and, having concluded it was not necessary or proportionate and therefore incompetent it had to be dismissed.
The case had been continued without plea on a number of occasions.
During legal debate earlier this year, counsel for the accused challenged the relevancy of the charges and claimed that under the European Convention of Human Rights the prosecution represented an unnecessary, illegitimate and disproportionate interference with their freedom of expression, speech and peaceful political protest. The Crown held that the charges were relevant and that the accused's rights under the Convention were "not unfettered" as the rights of one person might impinge of the rights of another.
It was alleged that during the concert there were shouts of "They are Israeli Army musicians", "Genocide in Gaza", "End Genocide in Gaza" and "Boycott Israel".
Sheriff Scott said it was clear the accused were engaged in political protest against the Israeli State and an organ of that state, the Israeli Army, concerning crimes allegedly committed by the Israeli State and its army in Gaza. The Crown, he said, claimed the accused were acting in concert on five separate occasions. He was unable, he said, to infer the five had been acting in concert and held that the disruptions had been carried out by the five individually in just under an hour during the same performance. Continuation of the prosecution was therefore not proportionate.
The Sheriff also stated that the protesters comments had been clearly directed at the State of Israel and Israeli Army. The State of Israel was not a person and the members of the quartet were not targeted as presumed citizens of Israel, but as presumed members of the Israeli Army. "It seemed to me," he said "that the procurator fiscal's attempts to squeeze malice and ill will were rather strained".
Sheriff Scott added that if persons on a public march designed to protest against and publicise alleged crimes committed by a state and its army were afraid to name that state for fear of being charged with racially aggravated behaviour it would render their rights under the Convention worthless. Their placards, he said, would have to read "Genocide in an unspecified part of the Middle East", "Boycott an unspecified state in the Middle East".
He said that the prosecution in its present form was unnecessary and, having concluded it was not necessary or proportionate and therefore incompetent it had to be dismissed. He discharged the complaint simpliciter.
Fiscal Depute, Graham Fraser announced that The Crown would be appealing the decision.
Source: http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/breaking-edinburgh-news/Palestine-groups-race-harassment-case.6211879.jp
Criticism of Israel is not anti-Semitism, rules sheriff
Brian Donnelly, The Herald Scotland 9 Apr 2010
A sheriff has ruled that criticism of Israel is not anti-Semitism after Palestinian protesters disrupted a recital of the Jerusalem String Quartet in Edinburgh.
The sheriff could have hidden behind generalities but today in court we discussed the state of Israel specifically and the sheriff ruled in open court that it is perfectly legitimate to criticise the crimes of the state of Israel and that does not in any way constitute racism of any kind.
It is a constant, never-ending attempt by those who support the state of Israel to name those who support the Palestinians as anti-Semites. It never ends. Well it ended today and we will not be intimidated by this smear in the future. Mick Napier, Scottish Palestinian Solidarity Campaign
Prosecutors had claimed that the actions of five members of the Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign were racially aggravated when they interrupted the performance.
They had cried out “they are Israeli army musicians ... end genocide in Gaza ... boycott Israel”.
However, throwing out the charges yesterday, Sheriff James Scott said human rights legislation would be worthless if people on a public march “designed to protest against a state and its army” were afraid to name the state for fear of being charged with racially aggravated behaviour.
Human rights campaigners have welcomed the ruling, saying the prosecutions had threatened freedom of speech.
Mick Napier, 63; Sofia Macleod, 39; Vanessa Fuertes, 35; Kevin Connor, 40; and Neil Forbes, 55, all from Edinburgh, were originally charged with breach of the peace on August 28, 2008, in the Queen’s Hall. The Crown deserted the original case, but charged the five with racially aggravated conduct.
Mr Napier said: “The sheriff could have hidden behind generalities but today in court we discussed the state of Israel specifically and the sheriff ruled in open court that it is perfectly legitimate to criticise the crimes of the state of Israel and that does not in any way constitute racism of any kind.
“It is a constant, never-ending attempt by those who support the state of Israel to name those who support the Palestinians as anti-Semites. It never ends. Well it ended today and we will not be intimidated by this smear in the future.”
Representing the accused, Aamer Anwar said the judgment “impacts on civil liberties in Scotland”.
“In a democracy, prosecutions must be proportionate. Freedom of expression and the right to protest of course carry responsibilities but a dangerous precedent would be set.”
The judgment said that the procurator-fiscal had elected to remove the word Jews from any charge. The sheriff said: “It seemed to me, with respect, that the procurator-fiscal’s attempts to squeeze malice and ill will out of the agreed facts were rather strained.”
He added: “Presumably their placards would have to read ‘genocide in an unspecified part of the Middle East’ or ‘boycott an unspecified state in the Middle East’.”
Aamer Anwar: judgment “impacts on
civil liberties in Scotland”
Graham Fraser, fiscal-depute, sought leave to appeal the case, which was granted by the sheriff. A spokesman for the Procurator-Fiscal Service said later: “The Crown is carefully considering the court’s decision.”
Myer Green, of the Scottish Friends of Israel, said: “I would regard this as a technical judgment”
He said if he was part of the audience he would have been very upset at the outcome.
Sarah Glynn, of Scottish Jews for a Just Peace, said: “We are delighted. It is important that we don’t conflate criticism of the country with being racist. We’ve got to be able to criticise a government.”
John Scott, a lawyer who specialises in human rights cases, said the case raised questions over the interpretation of racial aggravation laws.
He said: “There have been times when they have been over- enthusiastic about using it and this is probably an example. This was clearly a political protest.”
Source: http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/crime-courts/criticism-of-israel-is-not-anti-semitism-rules-sheriff-1.1019415
Activists who heckled Israeli quartet cleared of racism charge
Severin Carrell, The Guardian 8 April 2010
Edinburgh sheriff throws out 'disproportionate' prosecution of pro-Palestinian activists protesting about Gaza bombing
Five pro-Palestinian activists have been cleared of racism after a court threw out charges that they were guilty of racially aggravated conduct against members of an Israeli orchestra.
The four men and one woman were accused of being racially abusive after they repeatedly disrupted a concert by the Jerusalem string quartet at the Edinburgh international festival in August 2008 by protesting about Israel's bombing of Gaza and the group's links to the Israeli army.
As long as the ethnic cleansing of Palestine continues, Israel's political, cultural, and sporting ambassadors will face boycott protest similar to that faced by the racist apartheid South African regime in the last century. Mick Napier, Scottish Palestinian Solidarity Campaign
The same quartet were the focus of similar protests at Wigmore Hall in London last week, when five protesters were thrown out of the concert but not arrested.
The prosecution had claimed that protesting against Israel and Israelis showed "malice and ill-will" towards the musicians because of their membership of a racial group and was therefore racist.
In what lawyers hailed as a landmark judgment on human rights, a sheriff in Edinburgh ruled that these charges were disproportionate, failed to meet the test of racist abuse and were a clear breach of their rights to legitimate protest.
The prosecution had surprised many observers because, at an early stage in the case, the court heard a full transcript of the incident from a recording of the concert by BBC Radio 4, which showed there was no attack on any of the musicians' ethnic background or religion.
Sheriff James Scott said the prosecutor's "attempts to squeeze malice and ill will out of the agreed facts were rather strained". In the case of one of the four accused, the remarks "cannot be regarded as remotely racist".
The sheriff upheld the defendants' arguments that their protests, where they repeatedly disrupted the concert by accusing Israel of genocide in Gaza, were simply against the behaviour of a state and its army, not an attack on Jews or any ethnic group.
The protesters had clear rights to attack a state's behaviour under the European convention on human rights, he said.
"If persons on a march designed to protest against and publicise alleged crimes committed by a state and its army are afraid to name that state for fear of being charged with racially aggravated behaviour, that would render worthless their Article 10 rights," he said.
Aamer Anwar, the solicitor for the lead accused, Mick Napier, chairman of the Scottish Palestinian Solidarity Campaign, said the ruling was of national importance. "In a democracy prosecutions must be proportionate. Freedom of expression and the right to protest of course carry responsibilities, but a dangerous precedent would be set if demonstrators were criminalised for racism for protesting against state genocide by Israel or any other country," he said.
The sheriff also directly criticised the prosecution for pressing ahead with the racially aggravated charges rather than the original charges of breach of the peace. He gave the prosecutor leave to appeal.
Napier said demonstrations against Israel's policies would continue.
"As long as the ethnic cleansing of Palestine continues, Israel's political, cultural, and sporting ambassadors will face boycott protest similar to that faced by the racist apartheid South African regime in the last century," he said.
Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/apr/08/edinburgh-palestinians-israel-cleared
Israel protest at concert 'was not racist'
BBC News 8 April 2010
Protesters who disrupted a concert by an Israeli string quartet in Edinburgh have had charges of racially aggravated conduct thrown out by a court.
The five members of the Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign shouted slogans during the performance by the Jerusalem String Quartet.
But a sheriff said the comments had been directed at the state of Israel rather than individual Israeli people.
He ruled the case against the accused was not competent and dismissed it.
The sheriff ruled in open court that it is perfectly legitimate to criticise the crimes of the state of Israel and that does not in any way constitute racism of any kind Mick Napier Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign
About 60 supporters of the five accused burst into applause when Sheriff James Scott delivered his judgement at Edinburgh Sheriff Court.
The Crown had brought the charges against Michael Napier, 63, Sofia Macleod, 39, Vanesa Fuertes, 35, Kevin Connor, 40, and Neil Forbes, 55, all from Edinburgh.
It was alleged that on 29 August 2008 at Queen's Hall in Edinburgh they had pursued a racially aggravated course of conduct amounting to harassment of the string quartet, which was performing at the city's International Festival.
The prosecution claimed that by shouting slogans including "they are Israeli army musicians", "genocide in Gaza", "end genocide in Gaza" and "boycott Israel" the accused had made comments which evinced malice towards the musicians based on their membership of an ethnic group or nationality.
They were also alleged to have disrupted the concert and struggled with security staff.
'Strained' attempts
Two alternative charges accused them of acting in a racially aggravated manner, and causing or intending to cause the members of the quartet alarm and distress.
Sheriff Scott said it was clear the accused were engaged in political protest against the Israeli state and an organ of that state, the Israeli army, concerning crimes allegedly committed by the Israeli state and its army in Gaza.
But he said the prosecution had failed to show the five accused had acted together, which made the prosecution disproportionate, and also stated that the comments made during the performance had been clearly directed at the state of Israel and Israeli army.
The state of Israel was not a person and the members of the quartet were not targeted as presumed citizens of Israel, but as presumed members of the Israeli army, he added.
He said: "It seemed to me that the procurator fiscal's attempts to squeeze malice and ill will were rather strained".
The sheriff also said that the right to protest would be worthless if protestors were afraid of being charged with racially aggravated behaviour for naming a state they believed had committed crimes.
Their placards, the sheriff said, would need to read "genocide in an unspecified part of the Middle East" and "boycott an unspecified state in the Middle East".
He said the prosecution in its present form was unnecessary and, having concluded it was not necessary or proportionate and therefore incompetent, it had to be dismissed.
The sheriff discharged the complaint simpliciter.
Appealing decision
Speaking outside court, Mr Napier - the chairman of the Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign - said he and the other four protestors welcomed the sheriff's ruling.
"He ridiculed and satirised the procurator fiscal's efforts to protect a foreign state, in this case Israel, from criticism," Mr Napier said
"The sheriff could have hidden behind generalities, but today in court we discussed the state of Israel specifically and the sheriff ruled in open court that it is perfectly legitimate to criticise the crimes of the state of Israel and that does not in any way constitute racism of any kind.
"It is a constant never-ending attempt by those who support the state of Israel to name those who support the Palestiniains as anti-Semites. It never ends. Well it ended in court today and we will not be intimidated by this smear in the future."
Fiscal depute Graham Fraser said the Crown would be appealing the decision.
The case had previously been continued without plea on a number of occasions.
During legal debate earlier this year, lawyers representing the accused claimed that under the European Convention of Human Rights the prosecution represented an unnecessary, illegitimate and disproportionate interference with their freedom of expression, speech and peaceful political protest.
The Crown held that the charges were relevant and that the accused's rights under the convention were "not unfettered" as the rights of one person might impinge of the rights of another.
Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/edinburgh_and_east/8609737.stm
One victory on a long road to freedom
Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign 8 April 2010
When accused of racism by supporters of Israel’s ethnic cleansing and apartheid, we should enjoy the fight, confident in the knowledge that victory will be ours in the end.
Campaigns for human rights are always tested, and our common struggle against the disgusting crimes of the State of Israel will inevitable meet with state repression here at home. We must be grateful - so many of our enemies are arrogant and stupid.
The case in Edinburgh today pitted supporters of human rights against prosecutors who strove to put Israel beyond criticism. They failed and have been humiliated on this occasion but they will be back somewhere else to try again. Supporters of Israel - Gordon Brown, for example - need to suppress our democratic rights to defend the indefensible against a rising tide of popular anger at Israel’s crime.
We need to work to defend all those who become the victims of state repression for their opposition to Israel’s crimes.
In Bordeaux, France, Sakina Arnaud was convicted of a 'racism' related offence in Bordeaux for putting a 'Boycott Israel' sticker on a bottle of orange juice in a supermarket.
British Government support for Israel has taken the form of more than 20 prison sentences - some for over 2 years - to those who protested Israel’s massacre of 1400 mostly civilians in Gaza last year. Of the almost eighty charged, all but two are young Muslims. We, non-Muslims and Muslim campaigners for freedom for Palestine, must treat them as hostages seized from our movement whose freedom is our collective responsibility, as we campaign for the brave, enduring and indomitable people of Palestine.
The Palestinian campaign for freedom is faced with a monstrous settler-colonial state. Solidarity campaigns face legal repression here, but is has always been so - since the struggle against the sale of African people or opposition to mass murder in Vietnam, Algeria and other places.
Solidarity with the people of Palestine in their life and death struggle against pitiless Zionism is the litmus test of our common humanity in the 21st Century. We must use every example of domestic repression aimed against us to widen the circle of those ready to take a stand, the numbers of those who understand that we not only act in solidarity with struggling Palestinians but against those at home who would reduce the freedoms we have been handed down by those, better than us, who won them in the first place.
Gandhi noticed in any struggle for justice, that:
1. First they ignore you,
2. then they ridicule you,
3. then they fight you,
4. then you win."
We are at Stage 3, but Stage 3 needs to be subdivided further:
i. First they attack you.
ii. You stand your ground.
iii. You grow stronger.
(Repeat the cycle a number of times.)
THEN you win.
Mick Napier
Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign
Source: http://www.scottishpsc.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3288:one-victory-on-a-long-road-to-freedom&catid=332:trial&Itemid=200248
“RACISM” CHARGE DROPPED AGAINST ISRAEL PROTESTORS
Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign 8 April 2010
Update: Thursday April 8th 2010: For immediate release.
Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign: Media Release
“RACISM” CHARGE DROPPED AGAINST ISRAEL PROTESTORS
Five Palestine campaigners who contested the relevancy of a “racially aggravated conduct” charge in relation to their protest against Israel’s blockade of Gaza had all charges against them dropped today.
Auschwitz survivor, Hajo Meyer is pictured here at
Edinburgh Sheriff Court after the Jan 22nd
2010 hearing with two of the five accused
The campaigners, all members of the Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign (SPSC), had interrupted the August 2008 Edinburgh Festival concert by the Jerusalem Quartet. Tours by the classical musicians are regularly sponsored by the Israeli Government, which the campaign group claims makes them a legitimate target for protest.
The campaigners had been accused of making “comments about Jews, Israelis, and the State of Israel”, but during a three-day legal debate at Edinburgh Sheriff Court, a BBC audio recording of the event revealed that there had been no reference made to “Jews”. Comments included “They are Israeli Army musicians”, “End the Siege of Gaza”, “Genocide in Gaza”, and “Boycott Israel”.
Sheriff James Scott ruled that “the comments were clearly directed at the State of Israel, the Israeli Army, and Israeli Army musicians”, and not targeted at “citizens of Israel” per se. “The procurator fiscal’s attempts to squeeze malice and ill will out of the agreed facts were rather strained”, he said.
The Sheriff expressed concern that to continue with the prosecution would have implications for freedom of expression generally: “if persons on a public march designed to protest against and publicise alleged crimes committed by a state and its army are afraid to name that state for fear of being charged with racially aggravated behaviour, it would render worthless their Article 10(1) rights. Presumably their placards would have to read, ‘Genocide in an unspecified state in the Middle East’; ‘Boycott an unspecified state in the Middle East’ etc.
“Having concluded that continuation of the present prosecution is not necessary or proportionate, and therefore incompetent, it seems to me that the complaint must be dismissed.”
Mr Fraser, the Procurator Fiscal Depute, said he would be appealing the ruling.
Today’s ruling will disappoint the musicians whose concerts now attract regular protest. After a similar disruption of their Wigmore Hall concert last week they issued a statement claiming to “have no connection with or patronage by the [Israeli] Government”. However, organisers of their November 2009 Australia tour acknowledged that “The Israeli Government provided about $8000 towards the costs of the tour”, but explained, “this was only a minuscule proportion of the total cost.”
Outside Edinburgh Sheriff Court, supporters held banners reproducing the ‘racist’ slogans, and a number of enlarged concert programs indicating Israeli Embassy sponsorship of the quartet’s tours were on display. Human rights lawyer, Aamer Anwar, representing Mr Napier, read a statement on behalf of his client: “We welcome today's judgment which impacts on civil liberties nationally. A dangerous precedent would be set if demonstrators were criminalised for racism for protesting against state genocide by Israel or any other country."
SPSC chair, Mick Napier had mixed feelings about the ruling: “While this particular attempt to criminalise solidarity with Palestine has failed, British Government support for Israel continues. In England, more than 20 prison sentences - some for over 2 years - have been handed out to those who protested Israel’s massacre of 1400 mostly civilians in Gaza last year. On the subject of racism, of the 78 charged, all but two are young Muslims.
“If our case had gone to trial, it would have been Israel in the dock, not us. We had a string of witnesses from Palestine, Israel, and South Africa lined up to discuss the real racism and apartheid that Palestinians face daily. As long as the ethnic cleansing of Palestine continues, Israel’s political, cultural, and sporting ambassadors will face boycott protest similar to that faced by the racist apartheid South African regime in the last century.
“It’s time for politicians to fall into line with public opinion. Alex Salmond’s recent call for a review of trade relations with Israel is a step in the right direction, but what that means in practice remains to be seen.”
ENDS
Notes for editors:
1. The Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign started in autumn 2000 in response to the Palestinian second uprising against Israeli occupation (Intifada). The SPSC has branches and groups of supporters in several Scottish cities and universities, as well as individual members across Scotland and elsewhere.
For further information, contact:
SPSC Chair, Mick Napier: 0131 620 0052; 07958002591
Email: media@scottishpsc.org.uk
Website: www.scottishpsc.org.uk
2. The campaigners interrupted the Aug 29th 2008 Edinburgh Festival performance of the Jerusalem Quartet at Edinburgh’s Queen’s Hall. They were originally charged with Breach of the Peace, but weeks after last year’s violence in Gaza which took the lives of 1400 Palestinians and 13 Israelis, the Procurator Fiscal changed the charge to “racially aggravated conduct”.
US Library of Congress, concert program:
http://www.loc.gov/rr/perform/concert/0708-schedule.html
The campaigners maintained that their criticism was focussed on the State of Israel, and that as the Jerusalem Quartet are sponsored by their state to “promote the policy interests of the State of Israel via culture and art” [contract between the Jerusalem Quartet and Israel’s Foreign Ministry], their concert was a legitimate target for protest.
Quote on Israeli Government funding taken from:
Australian newspaper, The Age: Boycott urged on quartet October 29, 2009:
http://www.theage.com.au/national/boycott-urged-on-quartet-20091028-hl17.html
“The Israeli Government provided about $8000 towards the costs of the tour. Mary-Jo Capps, the chief executive of Musica Viva, the Australian touring organisation that has brought the quartet out annually for the past four years, said this was only a minuscule proportion of the total cost.”
See also, US Library of Congress, concert program:
http://www.loc.gov/rr/perform/concert/0708-schedule.html
Saturday, December 8, 2007 at 8:00 pm
JERUSALEM QUARTET Co-sponsored by the Embassy of Israel
The group’s sponsors, the Jerusalem Foundation, describes the quartet as “Prestigious Cultural Ambassadors Representing Israel and Jerusalem”:
http://www.jerusalemfoundation.org/project_overview.aspx?TAB=0&MID=550&CID=578&PID=654
This and other details of the musicians’ state-sponsorship here: http://www.scottishpsc.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3274:the-jerusalem-quartet-cultural-ambassadors-of-the-state-of-israel-and-liars&catid=344:protest&Itemid=200247
The Jerusalem Quartet’s statement distancing themselves from the Israeli Government can be found on their website:
http://www.jerusalemstringquartet.com/artist.php?view=news&nid=1513
3. The campaigners challenged the validity of the “racially aggravated conduct” charge in relation to a political protest focused on the State of Israel. The case is still at the pre-trial stage and no plea has been tendered.
Judgement on the legal debate was given at 11am on Thursday 8th April 2010 at Edinburgh Sheriff Court. If the challenge had failed, a date would have been set for trial.
4. The debate lasted three days: 21st + 22nd January 2010; and 29th Mar 2010. A report of the January debate, including a partial transcript of the BBC recording can be found here:
http://www.scottishpsc.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3189:was-boycotting-apartheid-south-africa-anti-white&catid=332:trial&Itemid=200248
The Mar 29th 2010 diet had to be transferred to a larger courtroom to accommodate around 100 supporters.
5. Scotland’s First Minister, Alex Salmond called for a review of the UK’s trade relationship with Israel, after it emerged that Israel’s Mossad had forged British passports for use in the assassination of a Palestinian Hamas leader.
Speaking on the BBC’s Question Time in Glasgow, 25th March 2010, Alex Salmond told the audience, “you can’t have normal relationships if you believe another country has been involved in what Israel has been involved in”.
Salmond said the response “should be more than expelling a diplomat”, which he derided as a “diplomatic dance”, and added, “this has implications for example in trading relationships”.
Report and transcript here:
http://www.scottishpsc.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3271:salmond-trade-relations-with-israel-cant-be-normal-after-mossad-passport-forgeries&catid=255&Itemid=100345
Salmond’s statements come 3 minutes into this clip (55 mins, 16 secs)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00rpspm#p0072md3
6. Deborah Fink is a member of Jews for Boycotting Israeli Goods, and is a professional classical singer. During her protest at London’s Wigmore Hall on 29th March, she sang
Jerusalem is occupied:
Settlers destroy her peace.
We'll sing out, until apartheid
And ethnic cleansing cease.
The live BBC Radio 3 broadcast was stopped halfway through her song.
Of the Scottish case, Fink said:
“It is the charges themselves that are racist. For the prosecutor to submit that it is ‘racist’ to say ‘End the Siege of Gaza’ shows callous indifference to the suffering of the Palestinians. While Israel’s crimes go on, we must speak out.”
Deborah Fink can be contacted on request.
The Brighton and Hove Palestine Solidarity Campaign press release of Mar 29th 2010 reporting the Wigmore Hall protest can be found here:
http://www.scottishpsc.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3280:2010-march-29th-brighton-a-hove-psc-press-release-on-their-jq-wigmore-hall-protest&catid=344:protest&Itemid=200247
7. Hundreds of individuals and organisations, including Journalist John Pilger, actor Tam Dean Burn, Palestinian professor Haidar Eid, and the International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network have signed an “Open letter in defence of the right to boycott Israel”:
http://www.scottishpsc.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3254:open-letter-in-defence-of-the-right-to-boycott-israel&catid=332:trial&Itemid=200248
Many have sent messages of support:
http://www.scottishpsc.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3255:financial-appeal&catid=332:trial&Itemid=200248
John Pilger writes that the case “should be laughed out of court”.
8. The Aug 29th 2008 protest was endorsed by the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI):http://www.pacbi.org/campaign_statement.htm
The Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI) fully endorses the Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign's call on the Edinburgh Festival to withdraw its invitation to the Jerusalem Quartet. Members of this Israeli Quartet began their career with active service in the Israeli army, where they served as "Distinguished Musicians," enjoying the sponsorship of mainstream Israeli cultural institutions such as the Jerusalem Foundation, which regards them as "prestigious cultural ambassadors, representing Israel and Jerusalem."
From the beginning, the Quartet's international tours have been actively promoted by the Israeli government. As such, and since the Quartet has not taken any clear position on the various forms of oppression of the Palestinian people, PACBI supports the Scottish PSC's call to boycott the Jerusalem Quartet as an institution that is complicit in maintaining Israel's occupation and oppression of the Palestinian people.
Source: http://www.scottishpsc.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3285:2010-april-8th-racism-charge-dropped-against-israel-protestors&catid=255&Itemid=100345
JQ Racism Trial: Sheriff Scott's ruling
Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign 8 April 2010
Source: http://www.scottishpsc.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3286&catid=332:trial&Itemid=200248
JQ Racism trial: Sheriff's ruling -Transcript of BBC recording of concert protest
Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign 8 April 2010
Source: http://www.scottishpsc.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3286&catid=332:trial&Itemid=200248
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