🍉 VanGran4Pal Community Newsletter
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**Neighbours and Friends, **
We would like to open this newsletter with a reminder to keep contacting your representatives to advocate for Palestine - some active campaigns include: Arms Embargo Now - click here to fill out their quick and easy email template; Tell Trudeau and your MP to stop anti-Palestinian racism now; write a letter to say that not one cent of Canadian** tax-dollars should be funding genocide; **fill in this email template to write a letter to keep the Israeli Government out of BC schools. Please scroll down to Action Updates for another important action request from a local community group!
For our Van-Gran constituent readers, we have word that Taleeb is in Vancouver for the first week of July and scheduling meetings with constituents who he hasn’t met yet. So now is a great time to email and request a meeting and let him know that Palestine is an election issue for you! If you are able to book a meeting and would like some talking points, please post in our community WhatsApp group where other folks from the riding will be happy to help.
There is always a lot of organising going on in our community! Read on for action updates, upcoming events and our community spotlight. As ever, please reply to this email, join our WhatsApp group or follow us on Instagram if you’d like to get involved.
Action Updates
Illuminate Vancouver For Palestine
**Call to action! **A local group has been developing an application for illuminating City Hall and Burrard Street Bridge for Palestine on Nov 29th. It would be amazing if our community of readers and friends would also apply: they are hoping to flood the city with requests to let them know that Vancouverites stand with Palestine.
Template applications can be found by clicking here. Thank you so much for taking the time to submit an application.
Meeting with Minister Heyman, MLA
Update from community member Sidiki: On June 14 I had a meeting with Minister George Heyman, who is also MLA for Vancouver-Fairview. As healthcare falls under provincial jurisdiction, I wanted to talk to him specifically about Anti-Palestinian Racism and Islamophobia in hospital settings and what, if anything, the province is doing to address this.
I brought up the harassment, intimidation, firing, and suspension of privileges experienced by healthcare workers advocating for Palestine, as well as the attempts to influence the match process based on medical students' support for a ceasefire. I told Minister Heyman that as a Canadian physician who trained in the US, I returned to Canada solely because of the intolerance and Islamophobia rampant in the US, but that with the current climate in Canadian healthcare, the marginal improvement in racism does not really justify a pay cut, higher cost of living and ridiculous housing prices.
We also discussed that both while both Antisemitism and Islamophobia must be condemned, it is clear that Islamophobia receives far less condemnation or action at media or government level. He agreed that this is a fair statement. We discussed the physical attack on the Bike4Pal group recently, and incidents of police brutality causing victims of APR to be unwilling to come forward.
He was very receptive to our concerns and has pledged to discuss the issues with Minister of Health Adrian Dix. He suggested I attempt to set up a meeting with him as well. He also pledged to discuss the issue of police brutality with the Attorney General. He did mention that as a Holocaust survivor, he has been accused of Antisemitism for his remarks on Palestine. Unfortunately, he is not running for office again.
The NDP candidate for the riding is Christine Boyle, a Vancouver city councilor. Based on my discussion with people who have interacted with her, it seems she has been supportive of the Palestinian community, as opposed to much of the city council. Click here to read her statement. It would be useful to set up a meeting with her as well.
~ Sidiki
Upcoming Events
No Pride in Genocide: March and Rally - Saturday June 29th
In response to the call from the** @queercoalitionforpalestine and **@queersinpalestine you are invited to come and show your solidarity against the ongoing horrific genocide against the people of Palestine by the zionist entity.
This rally and march is queer and trans led to show solidarity among all of our liberation struggles and specifically to amplify the voices of queer and trans Palestinians. This Saturday, in spirit of the anniversary of the beginning of the Stonewall Riots of June 28th 1969.
Join our local queer community in showing our solidarity with the Palestinian people, as we resist settler colonialism and genocide from Turtle Island to Palestine!
Special thanks to the endorsements from @samidounvan** @redgateartssociety** and @ubctransco
Bring your voices, keffiyehs and flags, and please wear a mask!
Free Palestine
Movie Screening at The Rio Theatre - July 7th
If you missed the UBC screening of Where Olive Trees Weep, you have another opportunity to catch it at the Rio Theatre on July 7th. Where Olive Trees weep offers a searing window into the struggles and resilience of the Palestinian people under Israeli occupation. Following, among others, Palestinian journalist and therapist Ashira Darwish, grassroots activist Ahed Tamimi, and Israeli journalist** **Amira HassIt, the film explores themes of loss, trauma, and the quest for justice. We also witness Dr. Gabor Maté offer trauma-healing work to a group of women who were tortured in Israeli prisons.
This emotional journey bares the humanity of the oppressed while grappling with the question: what makes the oppressor so ruthlessly blind to its own cruelty?
Sunday, July 7
Doors 12:15 pm | Movie 12:45 pm
The Rio Theatre | 1660 E Broadway, Vancouver, BC
Variety Show Fundraiser For Palestine - New Westminster
Join Under The Table Poetry, Wildfires Bookshop, and friends for an evening of poetry, film, music, and community to raise funds for Crips For E-sims in Gaza — an initiative that helps Palestinians stay connected. 🫶🏽Come enjoy this showcase of local, queer, disabled, BIPOC art and storytelling while supporting the people of Palestine. June 28th - Wildfires Bookshop, 12th Street, New Westminster, BC, Canada
To RSVP, read more & for accessibility details, visit the event page by clicking here.Please note: At Wildfires Bookshop, all our events are masked. Masks will be available at the door.
Music For Palestine - June 28th
Join the community for a night of live performances in solidarity with Palestine. Featuring a line up of great local artists!
Tickets cost $20 in advance or $25 at the door, with proceeds going to Crips for E-Sims in Gaza. Please wear masks at this event and if you are experiencing any sickness or symptoms, do not attend.
Friday, June 28th
Doors at 7.30pm | Performances 8pm
KW Studios | 111 West Hastings Street
Click here to buy tickets** **
Community Spotlight
A collage of some zine pages from the zine workshop run by Anartchists held on Sunday June 9th at the James Black Gallery.
The first step for attendees of our zine workshop was to complete some actions out front: emailing, petitioning, sharing, donating. After the hard work comes the healing through art. We made zines about Palestine, and every zine had such a personal and intimate touch. Some people made zines about how to support Palestine. Some people made zines how to stay healthy while organizing. Some people made zines for educating on the occupation of Palestine. Every zine was so beautiful and rare and we had such a magical evening creating together and sharing space. ~Cassandra
Contribute to the Newsletter
Do you have something you would like to share with your neighbours? We welcome submissions of all kinds — stories, poems, art, and event info. Simply reply to this email to send in your contribution.
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With gratitude and in solidarity,
Your Neighbours
Van Gran 4 Palestine
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