activism

Network terminology is becoming increasingly commonplace in Palestine activist circles, as well as among anti-Palestinian groups. We speak of “viral videos” and “links to the far right.” Anti-Palestinians have formed an “Israel Action Network” and refer to “Hubs of Delegitimization.” Are networks the latest innovation in an evolving arsenal of advocacy? Or just a catchy buzzword? The answer is neither.

In the summer of 2010, a small group of activists from across North America released The Veritas Handbook: A Guide to Understanding the Struggle for Palestinian Human Rights. The 347-page document combined a “crash course” on key political and humanitarian issues with an extensive survey of resources for emerging activists and advocacy veterans alike.

I first saw these cards at a Palestine activism conference around 2002, when they were still quite new, being distributed by the Ann Arbor Friends Meeting’s Palestine Israel Action Group (PIAG). With the front side featuring a set of maps depicting Palestinian loss of land from pre-Nakba times to present, and the back featuring a contemporary map showing the fragmentation of the West Bank (alongside various statistics and quotes), these cards are simple, convenient, and effective tools which remain popular a decade after their introduction.

Guilty verdicts but no jailtime for the Irvine 11 defendants, as the presiding judge acknowledges that they were motivated by their beliefs. Attorneys say they will appeal — as high as the Supreme Court — to protect free speech and the right to dissent in the US.

Defense attorneys tell the jurors in the Irvine 11 case that they “stand between democracy and creeping fascism,” and should find the students not guilty of criminal charges for their nonviolent protest which was protected under the right to free speech.

The prosecution claims that the Irvine 11 students unlawfully conspired to “censor” Israeli ambassador Michael Oren, while the defense argues that the students were in their full constitutional rights to exercise free speech.

The defense rests following the conclusion of testimonies and evidence in the Irvine 11 free speech trial. The closing arguments — and a verdict — are anticipated for Monday.