Aberdeen stands with Gaza and calls on Barclays Bank to stop profiting from Israeli crimes against Palestinians.

Aberdeen Trades Union Council joined Scottish Palestinian Solidarity Campaign (Aberdeen), RIC, community and faith groups at a "die-in" at Barclays Bank, Union Street Aberdeen on Saturday 16th August, to raise awareness of the bank's involvement in the supply of arms to Israel and its subsequent complicity in war crimes.

Demonstrators marched from St Nicholas Square, along Union Street to the die-in at the bank, to show their support for Palestinian human rights. They leafleted passers-by, many of whom stopped to sign a petition calling on Barclay's Bank to divest from their holdings in Elbit Systems, an Israeli Arms manufacturer.

The demonstrators then entered the bank to hand over the petition, and to leaflet customers of the bank calling for them to put pressure on Barclays to divest.

Aberdeen stands with Gaza: Gather for "Die-in" action in support of BDS

Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Aberdeen Trades Union Council, the Radical Independence Campaign, CND and Unite have organised a further demo in support of Palestine and to promote the campaign of Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS). Please join us on Saturday 16th August at 12 noon in St Nicholas Square, Aberdeen.

Kate Ramsden, Vice-President of the ATUC said, "Although Gaza is no longer headlining on the news and so far a ceasefire is holding, it is still extremely important to keep up the pressure on Israel to end the occupation of Palestine.

"The last few weeks have shown the world the brutality that the state of Israel is capable of, with the slaughter of over 1,900 Palestinians, around 85% of whom were civilians, amongst them over 400 children.

"The UN has called Israeli attacks on civilians in the Gaza Strip “gross violations of international law” and a particular attack on a UN school “a moral outrage and a criminal act”. We must act to make sure that this ends now, and that the UK Government and British banks and businesses do not profit from these crimes against the Palestinian people."

Gaza: We march for three things - the children, the children, the children

Thousands of people in London and Edinburgh marched for Gaza on Saturday 9th August in a "global day of rage".

More than 150,000 gathered in London, the third mass march in the city in as many weeks and the biggest, whilst many of the Aberdeen protesters joined the thousands in Edinburgh, to demand an immediate end to the killing, Israel to lift the siege and to abide by UN resolutions; an end to arms sales to Israel and boycott, divestment and sanctions to bring pressure on the Israeli government; and a free Palestine.

In Aberdeen those protesters who couldn't get to Edinburgh, again gathered at the Scottish Palestinian Solidarity Campaign stall in St Nicholas Square, to remind the people of Aberdeen that the Israeli assaults on the people of Gaza continues.

PCS Aberdeen Hustings Monday 11th August. All welcome

PCS Scotland is holding a Hustings on the Independence Referendum in Aberdeen on Monday 11 August 2014, Aberdeen Arts Centre, between 6pm and 8pm  in the Aberdeen Arts Centre.

PCS has invited speakers from both official campaigns as well as a speaker from Radical Independence and the Red Paper Collective.  The event will be chaired by a PCS Scottish NEC member.

The speakers will be invited to give an opening address which covers their respective organisation's response to the PCS's key demands. The meeting will then be opened up to the floor for contributions.

Brian Carroll, PCS said, "Although principally being organised for PCS Members, the event will be open to the public if they wish to attend. All ATUC delegates and friends are invited and I would encourage your attendance and participation at the event.

 

"Only PCS members need to register. Anyone else can just turn up on the night."

Stand with Palestine - Come along to a Public Meeting on 14th August and find out what you can do

Come along to a Public Meeting on Palestine on Thursday 14th Aug, 7-9pm, MacRobert Lecture Theatre (MR051), Aberdeen University and find out what you can do to stand with Palestine.

Fiona Napier, of SPSC Aberdeen said, "We are all angry at the horror of what has happened over the 4 weeks of massacre that Gaza has endured, and at the on-going injustices faced by Palestinians. Let's take that anger and do something with it.

"Come along and hear more about the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement - the local, national and international campaigns - and how you can be involved. Palestine is not asking us for charity, we are being asked to take action, now!! Help us do that in Aberdeen!"

Stand with Gaza - All Scotland Demo in Edinburgh and solidarity action in Aberdeen

There will be an all-Scotland demo in Edinburgh on Saturday 9th Aug, in response to a call  from Palestine for an international day of action.

"As we face the full might of Israel’s military arsenal, funded and supplied by the United States and European Union, we call on civil society and people of conscience throughout the world to pressure governments to sanction Israel and implement a comprehensive arms embargo immediately. WE ARE NOT ASKING FOR CHARITY. WE ARE DEMANDING SOLIDARITY, BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT UNTIL ISRAEL IS ISOLATED AND SANCTIONED, THESE HORRORS WILL BE REPEATED."

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The Edinburgh Demo will assemble 2pm, Saturday 9th Aug, at top of the Mound. Please go along if you possibly can.

Click here for further details.

Solidarity Action

There will also be solidarity action in Aberdeen where the Scottish Palestinian Solidarity Campaign (Aberdeen) will have a stall in St Nicholas Square on Saturday 9th Aug from 12-2pm.

If you can't make it to Edinburgh, join us at the stall. We have a number of big boycott actions coming up in Aberdeen and we need you! Come down on Saturday, and get signed up for action!

Aberdeen stands against the "barbaric and inhumane" tactics of Israel as the death toll in Gaza rises with almost 400 children killed

In a week which has seen the death toll in Gaza rise to 1712 including 398 children,  the people of Aberdeen stood once again with the people of Gaza as, for the fifth week in a row, hundreds turned out to the protest in St Nicholas Square on Saturday 2nd Aug, to show their outrage at Israel's assault on ordinary civilians.

Brian Carroll of the ATUC said, "This was another great turnout and event. New faces, new speakers but very importantly, the same message.

"Israel - STOP the Illegal Occupation, STOP the Genocide, STOP the Indiscriminate Killing and STOP the Blockade.

"Who are the terrorists ? Not those trying to survive an overwhelming onslaught of military power from land, sea and air. Not the ordinary civilians, including women and children, killed, injured and made homeless. No, these are people just like you and me.