Fined for Criticising Sharon in Barcelona

international | anti-war / imperialism | news report

Wednesday July 13, 2005 13:45

by EM

Translated report from the Xarxa d'Enllaç amb Palestina, Boicot Preveniu and the Plataforma Aturem la Guerra.

The day of the basketball match between the F. C. Barcelona and the Maccavi from Tel - Aviv, on the 10th of February 2005, members of the Movimiento de Solidaridad con Palestina (Movement of Solidarity with Palestine) delivered small flags which showed the Palestinian flag on one side and a text reporting Ariel Sharon's policies on the other side, among the people who were coming to see the match at the Palau "Blau Grana". The National Police retained and identified these members and took their materials. Now, four months after this, they have received a sanction from the Government Delegation. They are being charged for the following (we reproduce the notification from the Government Delegation literally, only omitting the names of those being charged): "In relation to the Basketball match (Euroleague) celebrated in the Palau, "Blau Grana", of the city of Barcelona on the 10th of February 2005 between the F. C. Barcelona and the Maccavi from Tel-Aviv, Ms. X, while she was nearby the sport premises (Entrance one, box office area), was found (and the material taken from her) with a bag containing about 150 small Palestinian flags which showed, on their other side, and written in Catalan, criticism against the policies of the Israeli leader Ariel Sharon; she was delivering these to the supporters who were accessing the sport premises, provoking a reaction of deep rejection from the Israeli public."
These facts, according to the Government Delegation, constitute a SERIOUS administration infraction, and it has sanctioned the solidarity members with a fine of
3,001 Euro each!
We want to state that:
1. The text on the flags (reproduced in full at the end) was making a reference to objective and unquestioned facts
(non-fulfilment of UN resolutions, the occupation and colonization of the territories, the sentence against the wall by the Court of The Hague...) and had no slander or calumny, nor incitation to or apology of violence. Therefore, as stated by the Law of sport, it cannot be considered as "an act that incites, promotes or helps violent, xenophobic, racist or terrorist behaviours, or as an act of manifest sportive contempt against participants at the sport event".
2. Facts reported on the flags have been reported continuously by the European Parliament and by the UN General Assembly, a part from several NGOs and other humanitarian organizations. Will the Government Delegation also fine these? Can s/he who requests the application of the International Law be fined?
3. The small flags were delivered before the match outside the premises, that is, in the street. We consider it unacceptable that the distribution of leaflets in a public area is prevented and punished. Barcelona streets do not belong to Sharon or the Government.
4. We consider the argument that Sharon cannot be criticized because it provokes "a reaction of deep rejection from the Israeli public" unacceptable. If the expression of ideas was dependant on the fact that they could bother someone, no criticism or a free, public and democratic debate would be possible. If the reminding of the situation of the Palestinian peoples bothers someone, the solution is not to silence it, but to help change it. Furthermore, the text was written in Catalan, and it is hard for us to understand how the Israeli public could evaluate it. .
5. Finally, we want to report the criminalization to which any criticisms against the State of Israel are subjected to. In this case, the Government Delegation considers "a criticism against the Israeli leader, Ariel Sharon" equivalent to "an act that incites, promotes or helps violent, xenophobic, racist or terrorist behaviours."
For more information about this case, please write to [email protected]
Red de Enlace con Palestina
Boicot Preventivo
Plataforma Aturem la Guerra

Reproduction of the text on the flags:

"This match will be televised in Israel: Lets make them realise that we reject the policies of Sharon. Show the Palestinian flag at the Maccavi's free-throws.
The state of Israel systematically ignores UN resolutions and International Law, keeps the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and the Golan Heights under occupation since 1967, it has provoked the exodus of millions of Palestinians and has transferred civil population to these colonized territories.
The State of Israel is building in Palestine a wall that in 2005 will be 730 km long, without respecting the Green Line that the UN established in 1969 and condemning about 16% Palestinians of the West Bank to live in isolation between the wall and the Green Line. Israel ignores the recent verdict from the Court of The Hague against the Apartheid wall. The State of Israel continues with its colonizing policies and has almost two hundred illegal settlements in the occupied territories. This means almost five hundred thousand settlers in Palestinian and Syrian territories and the violation of the Geneva conventions and the 242 UN Resolution. The occupation, the expropriation of land and resources, the murders, the destruction of homes and cultivated land, the violence and the humiliation, the serious violations of the Geneva Convention and the abuses of human rights by the occupying Israeli army and settlers, are clear proofs of the ethnic cleansing policies that Israel is carrying out with the accomplice passivity of the US and European Union governments. For these reasons, and to break the siege that they suffer, the Palestinian people need the solidarity of the International civil society. If we don't do anything, tomorrow may be too late."
________________
Multas por criticar a Sharon en Barcelona
Declaración de la
Xarxa d'Enllaç amb Palestina, Boicot Preveniu i la Plataforma
Aturem la Guerra
El día del partido de baloncesto entre el F. C. Barcelona y el
Maccavi de Tel - Aviv, 10 de febrero de 2005, miembros del
movimiento de solidaridad con Palestina repartieron banderines
con la bandera palestina y, en su parte posterior, un texto
denunciando la política de Ariel Sharon entre la gente que
acudía al Palau "Blau Grana". La Policía Nacional retuvo e
identificó a estas personas y les requiso el material. Ahora,
cuatro meses después, les ha llegado una sanción de la
Delegación del Gobierno.
Los hechos que se imputan a los activistas son éstos
(reproducimos literalmente la notificación de la Delegación
del Gobierno, respetando la sintaxis y la ortografía, y solo
omitimos el nombre de los encausados): "Con motivo del
encuentro de Baloncesto, (Euroliga), celebrado en el Palau,
"Blau Grana", de la ciudad de Barcelona el día 10 de Febrero
de 2.005 entre el F. C. Barcelona y el Maccavi de Tel-Aviv, Dª
X, cuando se encontraba en las inmediaciones del recinto
deportivo, (Acceso uno, zona de taquillas), le fue intervenida
una bolsa cono unos 150 banderines palestinos, en cuyo envés y
escrito en catalán se recoge una crítica a la política del
líder israelí, Ariel Sharón, que repartía a los aficionados,
que accedían al recinto deportivo, provocando una reacción de
profundo rechazo por parte del público israelí."
Estos hechos, según la Delegación del Gobierno, constituyen
una infracción administrativa GRAVE, y ha sancionado con una
multa de 3.001 euros a cada uno de los solidarios!
Queremos manifestar que:
1. El texto de los banderines (reproducido íntegramente al
final) hacía referencia a hechos objetivos e indiscutidos
(incumplimientos de resoluciones de la ONU, la ocupación y
colonización de los territorios, la sentencia contra el muro
del Tribunal de la Haya...) y no contenía ninguna difamación
ni calumnia, ni incitación o apología de la violencia. Por
tanto, no puede considerarse, como indica el Ley del deporte,
"un acto que incite, fomente o ayude a los comportamientos
violentos, xenófobos, racistas o terroristas, o como un acto
de manifiesto desprecio deportivo a los participantes en el
espectáculo deportivo".
2. Los hechos denunciados en los banderines han sido
denunciados reiteradamente por el Parlamento Europeo y por la
Asamblea General de la ONU, además de numerosas ONG y otros
organismos humanitarios. ¿La Delegación del Gobierno también
los multará? ¿Se puede multar a quien pide la aplicación del
derecho internacional?
3. Las banderolas se repartieron antes del partido fuera del
pabellón, o sea, en la calle. Consideremos inadmisible que se
impida y se castigue el hecho de repartir octavillas en un
espacio público. Las calles de Barcelona no son de Sharon, ni
del Gobierno.
4. Consideremos inadmisible el argumento que no se puede
criticar Sharon porque provoca "una reacción de profundo
rechazo por parte del público israelí". Si la expresión de las
ideas estuviera condicionada por el hecho de que puedan
molestar a alguien, sería imposible toda crítica y un debate
libre, público y democrático. Si recordar la situación en que
se encuentra el pueblo palestino molesta a alguien, la
solución no es silenciarla, sino ayudar a cambiarla. Además,
el texto estaba escrito en catalán, y se nos hace difícil
entender como el público israelí pudo valorar el redactado
.
5. Finalmente, queremos denunciar la criminalización a qué se
somete toda crítica al Estado de Israel. En este caso, la
Delegación del Gobierno considera equivalente "una crítica a
la política del líder israelí, Ariel Sharón" a "uno acto que
incite, fomente o ayude a los comportamientos violentos,
xenófobos, racistas o terroristas".
Si queréis más información sobre el caso, escribid a
[email protected]
Red de Enlace con Palestina
Boicot Preventivo
Plataforma Aturem la Guerra
Reproducción del texto de los banderines:
Este partido lo verán por televisión en Israel:
Hagamos que se den cuenta de nuestro rechazo a la política de
Sharon
Muestra la bandera palestina
cuando el Maccavi lance tiros libres
>> El Estado de Israel incumple sistemáticamente las
resoluciones de las Naciones Unidas y la legalidad
internacional, mantiene ocupadas Cisjordania, la Franja de
Gaza, Jerusalén Este y los Altos del Golán desde 1967, ha
provocado el éxodo de millones de palestinos y ha transferido
población civil a estos territorios por colonizarlos.
>> El Estado de Israel construye en Palestina un muro que el
2005 tendrá 730 km de largo, sin respetar la Línea Verde que
la ONU marcó el 1969 y condenando a cerca del 16% de los
palestinos de Cisjordania a vivir aislados entre el muro y la
Línea Verde. Israel hace caso omiso del reciente veredicto del
Tribunal de la Haya contrario al muro del apartheid.
>> El Estado de Israel continúa aplicando su política
colonizadora y mantiene casi doscientos asentamientos ilegales
en territorios ocupados. Eso quiere decir casi quinientos mil
colonos en tierras palestinas y de Siria y la violación de las
convenciones de Ginebra y de la resolución 242 de las Naciones
Unidas.
La ocupación, la expoliación de tierras y recursos, los
asesinados, la destrucción de viviendas y de cultivos, la
violencia y la humillación, las graves violaciones de la
Convención de Ginebra y los abusos contra los derechos humanos
por parte del ejército israelí ocupante y de los colonos, son
claras pruebas de la política de limpieza étnica que Israel
está llevando a cabo delante con la pasividad cómplice de los
gobiernos de EEUU y la Unión Europea. Por ello, y para romper
el asedio que le es impuesto, el pueblo palestino necesita la
solidaridad de la sociedad civil internacional.
Si no hacemos nada, mañana tal vez sea demasiado tarde.

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Comments (19 of 19)

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Ireland-Palestine

by Pol

Wed Jul 13, 2005 15:50

There is a similar movement in Ireland, although to the best of my knowledge they have not been fined for disseminating literature. A link to a series of newspaper articles is given below: http://student.cs.ucc.ie/cs1064/jabowen/IPSC/php/topic.php?tid=166

I am Glad

by Mohamad

Wed Jul 13, 2005 23:19

I AM SO GLAD YOU ALL WERE FINED...

Good

by irish citizen

Wed Jul 13, 2005 23:23

Also delighted you were prosecuted.

But, let's see a few pictures of the flags and the text and we'll decide.... come one... you indymedia people have a great penchant for pictures of demos...

Re Anti war activists fined for criticizing Ariel Sharon

by Zak Martin

Wed Jul 13, 2005 23:31

zak at isis dot ie

Granada, Spain

626387039

We have now arrived at an absurd state of affairs in which it has become an offence to criticise indicted war criminals responsible for the slaughter of thousands of innocent civilians, and where residents of supposedly democratic countries are penalised for drawing attention to undeniable facts.
Let's get this straight:
It is a *fact* that Israel is a pariah state that was established on Palestinian land against the will of the Palestinian people.
It is a *fact* that Israel has been condemned repeatedly by human rights and humanitarian agencies including Amnesty and the Red Cross for its gross human rights abuses and its policies of discrimination, imprisonment without trial and "routine torture" of political prisoners.
It is a *fact* that Israel has flouted international law and defied UN Security Council resolutions for decades.
It is a *fact* that Israel has developed and amassed huge stockpiles of chemical, biological and nuclear weapons.
It is a *fact* that Israel is an apartheid state which discriminates against non-Jewish citizens.
So powerful has the pro-Israel lobby now become, anyone who speaks about these self-evident facts risks being arrested and treated as a criminal - while the real criminals, including Sharon and his ilk, are feted by our political leaders.

The truth

by avi H.

Thu Jul 14, 2005 15:13

lies buried beneath the slogans and the soundbites.

The Truth

by Someone

Thu Jul 14, 2005 16:30

The Israeli Embassy in full in Indymedia.

Listen to yourselves....

by Seán

Thu Jul 14, 2005 21:13

Germany

"It is a *fact* that Israel is a pariah state that was established on Palestinian land against the will of the Palestinian people."

Back to the old story of the Jews being "A foreign body" in society? ( (c) A. Hitler)
Critical as I am of the Israels government's policies, as long as people spout completely one sided diatribes against Israel which could just as well come from neo-fascists, expressing undifferentiated support for Palestine as a national collective (i.e. specifically including reactionary terrorists who dream of Auschwitz re-opening, and the corrupt Palestinian Authority), they have no right to expect any kind of understanding.

It is a "fact"

by Ali ibn Sharmootah

Fri Jul 15, 2005 04:23

-----It is a *fact* that Israel is a pariah state that was established on Palestinian land against the will of the Palestinian people.

Trans Jordan OCCUPIED and Annexed "Palestinian land" Where's the angst? (there weren't any "palestinians" then, they were just generic arabs)

---It is a *fact* that Israel has been condemned repeatedly by human rights and humanitarian agencies including Amnesty and the Red Cross for its gross human rights abuses and its policies of discrimination, imprisonment without trial and "routine torture" of political prisoners.

That will continue until more Europeans are blown up.

--It is a *fact* that Israel has flouted international law and defied UN Security Council resolutions for decades.

The UN's been hijacked by Monarchies, Dictatorships and Theocracies. 57 moslem nations. The rest are afraid their oil will be cut off "international law" is lopsded.

---It is a *fact* that Israel has developed and amassed huge stockpiles of chemical, biological and nuclear weapons.

Masha'allah...the best way to keep the moslems from slaughtering them.

--It is a *fact* that Israel is an apartheid state which discriminates against non-Jewish citizens.--

There is no equation to apartheid, othr than in the minds of anti-semites and terrorist enablers

Nonsense

Fri Jul 15, 2005 05:09

It didn't take Hitler long to get into the discussion.
It is remarkable, isn't it, how any and every criticism of Israel is immediately interpreted as an attack on Jews, and comparisons are immediately made between the person making the criticism and Nazi leaders.
As for spouting "one-sided diatribes against Israel", there *is* only one side to this issue. Of course the Israeli government and its supporters would like everyone to believe that the Israel/Palestine situation is impossibly complex. But it simply isn't.
If you think Israel has a right to exist, or to occupy Palestinian territory, or to discriminate against non-Jewish citizens, or to amass huge stockpiles of WMD, or to massacre defenceless "refugees" (ie, Palestinians forced out of their homes by Israel soldiers), or to demolish Palestinian houses (in some cases while the occupants are still inside), or to deliberately shoot children, or to flout international law, or to refuse to comply with UN resolutions, or to take Palestinian land by force, or to build barriers separating Palestinian communities, or to carry out bombing raids against neighbouring countries - and so on - please justify your position, instead of making dismissive (and meaningless) comments.

Terrorist Enablers

by Nothing Justifies terrorism against civilians

Fri Jul 15, 2005 06:05

"As for spouting "one-sided diatribes against Israel", there *is* only one side to this issue."

Therein lies the problem. There is no negotiation with terrorists and their supporters.

Precisely

Fri Jul 15, 2005 09:29

And the terrorists in this instance are the Israeli government and IDF, supported and funded by the US government.

Dear Zak, you're not doing yourself any favours

Fri Jul 15, 2005 12:54

Don't shoot the messenger. If you echo nazi propaganda regarding Jews - in this specific instance the notion of Jews being a "foreign body" in society, you can't complain when someone has the cheek to point it out.
And as for there "only being one side to this conflict", I feel no need to comment on that, most people who read this will be capable of drawing there own conclusions from that statement vis a vis where that leaves the "issue" of palestinian suicide bombers murdering people in busses and cafes.

You certainly are confused...

Fri Jul 15, 2005 15:26

... if you equate condemnation of a terrorist, fascist and apartheid state with "echoes Nazi propaganda". Presumably you also believe that Amnesty, the Red Cross, Human Rights Watch and the various other humanitarian and civil rights organisations which have condemned Israel are also inspired by Nazi ideology.
But I think I see what where you're coming from. Anybody who criticizes Israel is a Hitler-loving anti-Semite - right?

Please, Zak, you're embarrasing yourself

Sat Jul 16, 2005 17:29

There isn't really much to add to what you said in order to reinforce my point. Anyone who descrobes Israel as a fascist state is discrediting themself much more than the best arguments of their opponents could.
And the careful reader will note that I did not equate condemnation of Israel with Nazi propaganda, indeed, I was careful to point out that I myself do not agree with the Israeli government's policies. The comparison related to a very specific point where you employed a well-worn anti-semitic stereotype, namely the notion of Jews being "foreign bodies" in society. This is what you said of the tate of Israel, and it is exactly what the NSDAP argued as regards German Jews.
As I said before, don't suit the messenger, and if you don't want to be accused of anti-semitism, refrain from using anti-semitic stereotypes.

Ah, I get it - you're the resident troll

Sat Jul 16, 2005 22:47

You really don't have anything at all to say, do you?
For a minute there I thought you were actually trying to express a viewpoint.

You are all very upset with each other.

by ben kal safardí

Sun Jul 17, 2005 12:52

barcelona

This thread is about 3 prominent Catalan pacifist platforms and the fines they have received due to pressure from the Spanish government on the Spanish prosecution office acting on official complaints from Israel.

I believe its telling you that there are political moves being made by governments who are *not* considered to be traditionally friendly to the Israelis to limit criticism of Sharon.

I believe it has also fallen short of telling you the background Barcelona / Catalan / Spansh politics
or what happened during the international sporting fixture on Feb 10th 2005.

Then in the comments we see Zak wheel out his facts and get really emotional. The first fact is very dodgy Zak. It is not a fact. In barcelona even amongst the circles of those 3 prominent pacifist groups you would be termed an "old style communist" for trotting out that line. But the other facts hold.

The facts which were distributed in pamphlet form are those which have been communicated at diplomati level between the state of Spain and Israel for a long time now, and form the basis of the Barcelona doctrine of the EU on the palestinian question and were repeated again by the Swiss as guardians of the Geneva convention only two days ago in Tel Aviv.

We (in Bcn) are moving to re-iterate the term "apartheid" for Israel, in the last year in the media (we consider imc the media) as part of an _agreement_ with activists in the conflict zone. These activists include palestinians, jordanians, lebanese, Israelis. They include Israelis of arab and ashkanazy or "european" or "russian" descent, and those who have objected, or served in the IDF. Amongst those who have served in the IDF are also to be found the sons of pro-Israel jewish citizens in London and France and the USA the IDF do not just conscript in their own land.
Israelis experience "apartheid" in employment opportunities, in stationing during their military service, in access to all states services.
This inequality within "jewish" society compounds the injustice by which the state of Israel has occupied the palestinian territories.

They are 2 issues.

Which crosspolinate and cross refer. The Palestinians are at the bottom of the heap and suffer the most, but between them and the leadership class of Israel, who are all military or ex military are the other "apartheid classes".
Likewise the palestinian and neighbouring arabic territories to the state of Israel are used by militant groups who are as intent on war as the most beligerent of the IDF. Their continuing activities endanger the future of all palestinians. They are 2 issues as well.

The Middle East conflict, and the solution to it, is many-sided & multi-faceted. Too many people approach it with simplistic black and white attitudes, and using language which is divisive amongst themselves.

Too many people also believe the sort of "expose the truth" activism is needed, it is not the case that many people are unaware of the injustice, occupation, war. It is not like the western sahara
situation one which needs "introductory attention".

Read this whole thread with comments and you see two intelligent and experienced writers in Ireland all but abuse each other for all to see. & one suspects both Sean and Zak agree on the very general principles.

The same happened on the bcn imc notice.
The trolls emerge. And normally considered writers become trollish.
http://barcelona.indymedia.org/newswire/display/190726/index.php

But not with the first news notice. Perhaps because there were only 19 hits to that page.
Possibly Trolls emerge with more than 200 hits.
http://www.esfazil.com/kaos/noticia.php?id_noticia=10636

And as usual we forget that the proper politics behind this :-

A state and wider political class within it, which is *pro-palestinian* and only moved very lately to enjoy any kind of diplomatic reprochement with Israel, saw invited as part of its internal sporting agenda and international pacifist agenda a basketball team to play in the capital city of one of its constituent countries, not because Israel is good at basketball, but rather Bcn is very good at basketball and the local kids identify with the city team in place of a proper national side which gets to beat a "spanish basketball team" and the 3 prominent (and well funded) pacifist groups (who overlap) stopped the match. Dramatically. Ostensibly to "stop the occupation" and extend their "boycott israel" agenda. The boycott of Israel campaign has successfully seen divestment approach many billions of euros Messrs Zak and Sean. Does it need basketball as well?

One normally in "spanish state" politics is expected to hand over an envelope of cash after doing that, - & to milk the propaganda you've bought. But the groups didn't do so, they have rather seemed to move it back off their front pages.

Will this thread in the future be worth the cash it cost?

Answer me that Zak? Sean?

Or are we to concur (amongst an Irish readership) that until the palestinian injustice is addressed and the internal problems of the apartheid Israeli state are sorted and the US ends it meddling in the region and provocation of ancient inter-racial and inter-ethnic animosities, that there will be no sporting events which see Israelis play?

Are any of you willing to say when sporting events can occur again? What next? Are we to move on to a boycott of Israeli literature as well?

6 youths were fined 18000€ for stopping a sporting event and causing "grevious offence to the Israeli public"

Pariah state

Tue Jul 19, 2005 13:17

"It is a *fact* that Israel is a pariah state that was established on Palestinian land against the will of the Palestinian people. "
There are two facts in this statement (both accurate).
Which one do you disagree with?
Are you claiming that Israel is *not* a pariah state, or that Israel was *not* established on Palestinian against the will of the Palestinian people?

I am not interested in what you say are the propaganda machinations behind this particular incident. No propaganda machine is as well-oiled as the one operated by the Israeli government.
The fact is, Israel has for decades played the antisemitism card as a way to deflect criticism of its own outrageous policies (of illegal occupation, human rights abuses, refusal to comply with UN resolutions, violatation of international laws and treaties, state terrorism, acquisition of WMD, land-grabbing and ethnic cleansing). Any criticism of Israel is immediately construed by the Israeli government and its supporters as motivated by antisemitic sentiment. This has the dual effect - or at least intended effect - of discrediting the person making the criticism whilst sidestepping the criticism itself.
It is about time the Israeli government and its apologists were confronted (in particular by the media, which, by and large, has played softball with Israeli politicians and spokesmen) on the fundamental issues regarding Israel - not excluding Israel's self-asserted "right to exist" - without being allowed to shield themselves behind the bodies of the Jews who died in the Holocaust (themselves the victims of an ideology predicated on the same odious brand of racial and religious elitism which underlies and informs Israeli government policy).

olé! zak.

by iosaf

Tue Jul 19, 2005 23:08

but pariah is not the word I would use.
first use in English 1613, from Portuguese, [Goa colony in act] "paria" or directly from Tamil "paraiyar", pl. of paraiyan "drummer" (at festivals, the hereditary duty of members of the largest of the lower castes of southern India), from parai "large festival drum."

Especially numerous at Madras & naturally Goa, where drumming members of the lowest class supplied most in domestic service of Europeans.

The word is still applied by Hindus and Europeans to members of any low Hindu caste and even to outcastes. The extended meaning "social outcast" is first attested 1819.

I prefer to call Israel a state which is enacting an "apartheid" regime. & I'm in fashion. Sort of glad about it, I never got to go see Goa, and maybe I felt left out.

neasc "Swiss Delegation to Israel deny visit was a failure"

by :-)seosaimmmmmmmmh

Wed Jul 20, 2005 23:07

http://www.swissinfo.org/sen/swissinfo.html?siteSect=106&sid=5955765&cKey=1121888730000

an liathróid...liathróid agus cispheil...& sporty pariah "near homeless perchance" & apartheid wall. & the future. ag cur chugann

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Fined for Criticising Sharon in Barcelona

Comments (19 of 19)