Interrupting the normalization of anti-Islamic rhetoric and actions, Bay Area Art Queers Unleashing Power (BAAQUP) and Street Cred continue to alter the latest anti-Islamic ads posted by Pamela Geller's "American Freedom Defense Initiative" on San Francisco MUNI buses. In these remakes, Geller acknowledges that her struggle (jihad) is overcoming her virulent Islamophobia and racism. Geller's original ad was modified to read: "I'm Pamela Geller and I spread Islamophobia. I don't know why, but it's a struggle for me not to."

BAAQUP and Street Cred write: "Our work addresses an evolving series of campaigns aimed at disrupting the status quo by awakening people's consciousness. We are Advertising for the People. We believe that all public spaces including public transit and should be welcoming and safe for all members of our community. The hate-filled messages purchased by Pamela Geller’s AFDI defame and vilify Muslims and are harmful and offensive to residents and visitors in San Francisco, both Muslim and non-Muslim.
 Since the City will not take action against these ads on City buses, we have.... As long as these advertising outrages continue to appear on our streets, we will continue to reconstitute them to reflect something more truthful, just, and ideally fabulous."

Queer Artists Strike Back at Anti-Gay and Anti-Islamic Ads (April 13) | Why are Bay Area artists editing Pamela Geller's hate graphics? (Mar 26) | Bay Area Activists Remake Hate Ads on SF Buses (Mar 17) | BAAQUP

Previous Related Indybay Feature: The People Speak: "Free Speech Not Hate Speech on SF Transit" (Aug 2012)

Four years ago, Tristan Anderson, an Oakland-based human rights activist, was shot in the head with a tear gas canister by Israeli military police. On March 13th, on the anniversary of Tristan's injury, dozens gathered in Oscar Grant Plaza to celebrate Global Resistance Day. Global Resistance Day honors Tristan and all who have transcended borders and risked their lives to resist tyranny.

As part of the festivities, a cardboard effigy symbolizing the walls and fences of Israeli Apartheid was ripped apart by the crowd. Later, Tristan and some friends sang "The Flag is Just a Rag," an anthem of Global Resistance Day. Sarah Shourd, one of the three hikers held hostage in Iran from 2009-2011, spoke about her experience living with Palestinian refugees in Syria. Food Not Bombs brought a feast of freegan treats and footage was shown from resistance movements around the world.

Friends and family of Tristan Anderson announced that they will soon go to Israel to press charges against the Israeli police on Tristan's behalf.

Photos

Related Indybay Features: Tristan Anderson Challenges Israeli Military in Jerusalem Court for 2009 Attack in Ni'ilin | Oakland CA Resident Tristan Anderson Critically Injured by IDF Tear Gas Canister in Ni'lin

In July, a federal judge ruled in favor of a well-known anti-Muslim group known as "The American Freedom Defense Initiative (AFDI)" led by Pamela Geller, giving the group the right to run demeaning and racist advertisements with New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority. The same day the judge ruled that New York's MTA violated the First Amendment rights of Geller's group, San Francisco's MUNI approved the same ads for its buses, despite a policy against political advertisements. By August 10th, the Islamophobic ads were running on ten San Francisco buses. The ads read: "In any war between the civilized man and the savage, support the civilized man. Support Israel (between two stars of David). Defeat Jihad."

After MUNI announced that it would not remove the ads, despite community pressure, local artists took matters into their own hands and modified at least one of them within a week by placing an illustration of a "hate speech" stamp over the ad. By August 19th, several of the advertisements had been modified, more recently by changing the text to read: "In any war between the colonizer and the colonized, support the oppressed. Support the Palestinian right of return. Defeat racism."

Photos: 1 | 2 | Pamela Geller: Bus Ads Inspired by Ayn Rand’s Racist Views of Arabs and Muslims? | Pro-Israel War Ads on Municipal Buses

The Alameda County Board of Supervisors proclaimed Palestinian Cultural Day at its regular meeting in the Alameda County Administration Building in Oakland on Tuesday, July 24th, 2012. Board President Nate Miley and Supervisor Wilma Chan awarded the Proclamation to representatives of the Palestinian community: Fouad Atieh, Sandra Nasser, Nabil Wahbeh, and Loubna Qutami.

The proclamation is a victory for Palestinian residents who have long sought recognition as a community despite sometimes fierce opposition. It recognizes Palestinians as a people who “trace their roots back to this historic land of Palestine” and that “Palestinian residents of Alameda County now number approximately 20,000 and continue to make major contributions to the County.”

Alameda County becomes the second in California to officially recognize Palestinian Cultural Day, following the lead of Santa Clara County which issued its first proclamation in 2002. But getting started ten years ago was very challenging because of fierce opposition from supporters of Israel who feared the proclamations would erode Israel’s image by raising public awareness of recent Palestinian history.

Read More and View Photos

Related Articles: Palestinian Culture and Catastrophe Recognized by Santa Clara County || Palestinian Cultural Mural Unveiled After Turbulent Struggle || Santa Clara County marks Palestinian Culture Day on 60th Anniversary of al-Nakbah || Silicon Valley Proclaims May 15th Palestinian Cultural Day

UPDATE: The trial has been delayed. More details will be forthcoming.

On November 17th, a Jerusalem civil court will convene regarding the case of Tristan Anderson, an international solidarity activist from Oakland, California, wounded in March 2009 when he was shot in the head by Israeli border police in Ni'ilin, Palestine. He survived the attack on his life, but has been left paralyzed on one side of his body and with significant damage to his brain. In the weeks following his shooting, the family of Tristan Anderson initiated legal action against the Israeli military in both criminal and civil court. As is the pattern, the police investigation into its own conduct yielded no criminal convictions against any of the officers or military personnel involved in the shooting. The investigation has been widely criticized as a sham. To date, no one has been charged with any crime whatsoever related to the shooting of Tristan Anderson. The police, instead, chose to focus much of the attention of their so-called investigation on attempts at information gathering against activists.

Supporters write: "We demand that the State answer for the unprovoked attack on our friend, and we maintain that Tristan's shooting was not an isolated incident but part of a pattern of deadly and illegal violence being used against protesters in Palestine."

On November 17th at 6:30pm, there will also be an event in Berkeley in solidarity with the trial featuring Tristan, an update from court from Gabby, and a discussion as well as music.

Read more | Solidarity with Tristan Anderson event announcement | Al Jazeera article about Tristan’s civil suit

Previous related Indybay feature: Ni'lin Demo in Solidarity with Tristan Anderson and Rachel Corrie

On Friday, October 14th, Jeff Halper, director of the Israeli Committee Against House Demolition, will be speaking at 110 Boalt Hall, School of Law, UC Berkeley. Halper, who has been arrested many times for his nonviolent direct action against house demolition by the Israeli police and military, was also arrested in 2008 for sailing to Gaza.

In 2006 Halper was also nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize by the American Friends Service Committee for his work "to liberate both the Palestinian and the Israeli people from the yoke of structural violence" and "to build equality between their people by recognizing and celebrating their common humanity".

The Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions was one of the first Israeli organizations to endorse the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) campaign, issuing its call to the international community in January, 2005. Over the past decade and a half ICAHD has played a key role in expanding the BDS campaign and working with groups around the world to identify effective targets.

Israeli Committee Against House Demolition | Jeff Halper in Gaza: "We are the oppressors" | Palestine / Israel: Where do we go from here? | Mobilizing for September?

On September 8th, 2011, an art exhibit of children's drawings was banned by the Museum of Children's Art in Oakland (MOCHA). Much of the artwork was drawn by children participating in a "Let the Children Play And Heal" project. The Middle East Children’s Alliance (MECA) organized "Let the Children Play and Heal" to give tens of thousands of children and youth in Gaza opportunities to express themselves though art, dance, music, story-telling, theater and puppetry; to get support from the larger community; and to have fun and just be children. It was developed to address the needs of traumatized children after the 2008/2009 Israeli assault on Gaza. Zionist organizations such as the Jewish Community Relations Council and Jewish Federation are suspected of having intimidated MOCHA into canceling the show, in order to deny an audience for the perspectives of Palestinians, despite the fact that MECA had been working with the museum for months planning the local exhibit. On September 23rd, a demonstration was held in front of MOCHA to protest the censorship.

MOCHA held firm that they would not allow the exhibit. MECA announced that the exhibit would open on the originally scheduled date anyway, outside rather than inside of MOCHA. What MECA kept under wraps until opening day was that they had secured an alternate venue for the exhibit just around the corner from MOCHA. As the exhibit was set to open on September 24th, MECA and supporters first gathered in the courtyard outside of the MOCHA building, displaying reproductions of the Gazan children's artwork. Less than half an hour later, an announcement was made about the new venue and the Brass Liberation Orchestra led supporters out of the courtyard, down the sidewalk, and around the corner to the new home for the exhibit. Hundreds of people attended the opening over the course of the next few hours. The exhibit is set to show at 917 Washington Street in Oakland through November 30th.

September 23rd Censorship Protest: Video & Photos | Photos
September 24th Exhibit Opening: Video & Photos

A "Welcome to Palestine" campaign scheduled for July 8th through July 16th has begun at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv. It is intended to draw attention to the Israeli blockade on the West Bank. Normally, visitors to the West Bank must lie to Israeli authorities and state that they are merely tourists, feigning disinterest in the rights of Palestinians. As part of the "Welcome to Palestine" campaign, however, hundreds plan to arrive in Tel Aviv and openly declare their intentions to travel to the West Bank to support peaceful Palestinian efforts for human rights. Already, dozens of activists and journalists have been denied entry to Israel after having been blacklisted or have been deported once they truthfully state their intentions.

Read More: Israel uses Facebook to blacklist pro-Palestinian protesters | More than 100 arrested at TLV airport, moved to Israeli prison | This Week in Palestine, July 8th, 2011 | Dozens to be deported from Tel Aviv airport, 5 Israeli activists arrested | Welcome to Israel | “Air Flotilla” successful in exposing Israeli blockade of West Bank | Challenging Israeli apartheid — by plane | “Welcome to Palestine” initiative July 8-16 challenges Israel's air blockade

UPDATE July 19th: The MV Juliano was detained in Crete by Greek authorities who refuse to let the boat sail. The last remaining Flotilla II boat, the French boat Dignite/Al Karama, was stopped by the Israeli navy about 40 miles off of the coast of Gaza.

The 2011 Stay Human Freedom Flotilla has faced repeated threats and admonishments from the U.S. and Israeli governments, the early pullout of the Turkish contingent, meddling from Zionist law firms, sabotage to the propellers of the Irish and Greek-Swedish-Norwegian boats by underwater divers, and an order from the Greek government banning the flotilla from embarking on the journey to Gaza from Greece.

The "Freedom Flotilla 2 - Stay Human" was scheduled to depart by the end of June, but at this point, it remains uncertain how many boats will be able to leave the port of Athens and set sail for Gaza. Among the European, Australian, and North American ships that had intended to non-violently break the Israeli siege on the Gaza Strip was the U.S. boat The Audacity of Hope. On July 1st, The Audacity of Hope left port against the orders of the Greek government and was eventually turned back by the Greek Coast Guard, leading to the arrest of the boat's captain. A Canadian boat tried the same thing three days later and was likewise turned back by Greek military forces. One smaller French boat, the Dignité-Karama, was able to get out to sea the day after that.

Now, with the U.S. boat being held indefinitely at a Greek military port behind barbed wire, the Americans will not be able to sail with the Freedom Flotilla. The French boat that departed from Athens was detained and later released by the Greek Coast Guard in Crete. The Greek-Swedish-Norwegian boat MV Juliano has been repaired and is also at sea, currently being tracked by Greek helicopters.

Statements by and Interviews with U.S. Passengers: Interview with Northern California Gaza Freedom Flotilla Passenger Debra Ellis | Interview with Northern California Gaza Freedom Flotilla Passenger Regina Carey | Interview with Northern California Gaza Freedom Flotilla Passenger Henry Norr | This Is Not My Jerusalem - An Israeli American Explains Why She Will Be on the Flotilla | Alice Walker: Why I am sailing to Gaza on the Freedom Flotilla

Read More on Freedom Flotilla II — Stay Human: Israeli Navy takes Dignite/Al Karama in international waters - CALL TO ACTION | Gaza Flotilla/"Who Profits from the Occupation" | Freedom Flotilla II: Final Thoughts | Dueling Flotilla I Commissions | Tahir and Most Other Freedom Flotilla II Boats Regroup for Later Efforts to End the Seige | This Week in Palestine, July 8th, 2011 | Freedom Flotilla II: Blocked but not Defeated | Queers to Israel: Stop Pinkwashing Apartheid and Occupation! || July 6th Update: With Boat Still in Greek Military Custody, U.S. Will Not Sail with Flotilla || Let Us Sail to Gaza || Calls grow for Freedom Flotilla to launch from Egypt || Factsheet: Humanitarian Crisis in the Gaza Strip || Free Palestine Movement Gaza Flotilla Update: Greek Civil Society Rallies Against Blockade || July 5th Update: US Captain John Klusmire Free! Canadians Free! French Depart for Gaza! || Updates from Canadian Freedom Flotilla 2 Boat: Owner and Two Kayakers Arrested || July 4th update - Six More Arrested at US Ambassador's House, Hearing for John Klusmire || Breaking: Canadian Boat to Gaza leaves port, seized by Greek Coast Guard || US Needs a Declaration of Independence - from Israel || Protest @ Israeli Consulate - Let the "Be Human" Aid Flotilla to Gaza Sail || US Gaza Boat: New Numbers to Call to Free Capt Klusmire from Illegal Jail Conditions || Palestinian & Jewish Israeli Statement for Freedom Flotilla 2 || US Boat Hunger Strike in Athens: Gaza flotilla: We still plan to breach blockade || Action Alert: US Flotilla Passengers Fasting/Camping at US Embassy in Greece || Leftist Greek MPs accuse government of caving to Israeli pressure to stop Gaza flotilla || Israeli Deputy Prime Minister: Flotilla Sabotage Thanks to IDF || Photos, audio, and video of US Boat to Gaza launch, Greek coast guard, military port || Israeli Freedom Flotilla II Terrorism || This Week in Palestine, July 1st, 2011 || Free John Klusmire: Contact The Audacity of Hope Captain's U.S. & CA Reps and Senators || U.S. Boat to Gaza Seized by Greek Authorities and Captain Jailed || Greek move against boats born of Netanyahu campaign for Greek financial rescue || Latest update from The Audacity of Hope in Greece || Flotilla Stopped by Greek Coast Guard: Urgent Need for Calls to Greek and U.S. Officials || US Boat to Gaza on Way Out to Sea; Greece Coast Guard Stops Boat || US Boat to Gaza Sailing Now with Gaza Freedom Flotilla || Websites to Follow for Updates on the Stay Human Gaza Freedom Flotilla 2011 || U.S. Flotilla Activists To Challenge Greek Blockade of Boat, Plan to Set Sail Within Hours || LA Times Runs Pro-Gaza-Blockade OpEd and Omits that Author Is Ret. IDF Colonel || Fact Checking Israel's Misinformation on Gaza Flotilla II || MV Saoirse Sabotage Photos and Video || Netanyahu admits pressurinig Greek PM on Gaza Freedom Flotilla || Tour of Gaza-Bound U.S. Ship, Audacity of Hope; Saboteurs Damage Other Ships in Flotilla || Sam Hart, retired US diplomat, joining Gaza Freedom Flotilla; Phone Brigade Needed Now || Irish ship MV Saoirse dangerously sabotaged by Zionist terrorists || WikiLeaks document on Gaza blockade puts Israel’s flotilla hasbara to shame || The Audacity of Hope: We're Sulfur-Free and Ready to Sail || Israeli Anti-Freedom Flotilla II Propaganda || Assault on Gaza Flotilla Ship: 'Sabotaged by Divers' in Port, Attacked by Legal Group Fund || Israeli Gov't Attempts to Discredit Flotilla with Hoax Video Claiming Flotilla Is Anti-Gay || Flotilla not a declaration of war, but a declaration of peace || Flotilla Organizers: Participants Have Signed Declarations Of Non-Violence || Stay Human Freedom Flotilla 2011: How You Can Help Now || Flotilla Updates: French Boat Set Sail! Greek Boat Sabatoged! Calls Needed to Release US Boat! || Israel: Flotilla will be prevented from reaching Gaza || Israel drops warning to foreign journalists on Gaza flotilla || Breaching Gaza's Siege Update || U.S. Boat to Gaza Responds to Reports Israeli “Lawfare” Group Filed Complaint Delaying Departure || Flotilla 2011: This Little Boat of Ours, We're Gonna Let It Sail || US government threatens to arrest US flotilla participants || Greek Officials Attempt To Block U.S. Boat To Gaza From Leaving Greek Port || Flotilla 2011 Starts: Sailing from Corsica Now || Reporters hector State: Is the blockade legal? Does Israel have right to 'defend' from Flotilla? || Breaching Gaza's Siege || This Week in Palestine, June 24th, 2011 || Freedom Flotilla 2 U.S. Boat to Gaza Responds to State Dept. Warning || US Jews comprise one-fourth of US Freedom Flotilla contingent || 'Freedom Flotilla 2' prepares to sail to Gaza in next few days || Medical Care in Gaza (Part II) || IHH Pulls Out Of "Freedom Flotilla 2" due to technical problems || Medical Care in Gaza Under Siege || Freedom Flotilla Two: Another Massacre Looms? || Israel Readies To Attack Freedom Flotilla 2 || Break the siege on Gaza NOW! || Shurat HaDin Lawyers, not IDF, at Forefront of Battle Against Stay Human Gaza Flotilla 2011 (FF2) || Humanitarian Ship to Gaza Running out of Food & Water-Egypt Navy Forced to Sea

On June 17th, about 75 LGBT activists protested outside the San Francisco International LGBT Film Festival, which accepted Israeli government sponsorship and financing for the second year in a row. The Brass Liberation Orchestra was on hand to provide a spirited soundtrack. QUIT! launched the campaign to get Frameline to divorce the Israeli Consulate in 2007. In 2008 and 2009, the festival did not accept Israeli sponsorship, after having done so for years. But last year, under pressure from the consulate, the new festival director and executive director renewed their partnership with the Israeli government.

Activists chanted "Frameline Frameline Shame Shame Shame, No Apartheid In Our Name" and "I'm an angry queer, and I'm here to shout, Israeli Consulate, get the f*** out!" Leafleters offered filmgoers stickers to wear inside to show their support for severing ties with the Israeli apartheid government, as well as a $3 bill to give to an usher asking Frameline to return the blood money.

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May 15th marked 63 years since the Palestinian Nakba (catastrophe). In 1948, more than 750,000 Palestinians were permanently displaced from their homes by Israeli forces, with more than 500 Palestinian villages depopulated and destroyed. According to the U.N. nearly five million Palestinian refugees, the largest refugee community in the world, are living in exile. Israel continues to colonize and ethnically cleanse Palestinian land through occupation and war. Recently, the Israeli Knesset passed new "Nakba laws" intended to outlaw commemoration of the day, including the withdrawal of funding to any organization that is seen to be marking "al Nakba".

In San Francisco, Palestinian Americans and solidarity activists attended a demonstration at Union Square ( Read More | Photos | Event Listings: 1 | 2 ). In other Northern California cities, activists also marked the Nakba ( Event Listings: Sacramento | San Jose ).

Across the West Bank and Gaza, thousands took to the street to commemorate al Nakba and demand an end to the Israeli occupation of Palestine. Marches by Palestinian refugees to the Israeli border in Lebanon, Egypt, and Syria resulted in instances of protesters breaching the international borders. Israeli forces responded with live gunfire resulting in at least 16 protesters being killed, as well as hundreds injured. Amnesty International and other human rights organizations have called for investigations into the Nakba killings.

Read More | This Week in Palestine, May 20th | Solidarity with Palestine | This Week in Palestine, May 13th | Commemorating Palestine's Nakba | Nakba day obituary

During the past month, Palestinian youth protested in a number of West Bank and Gaza areas calling for unity and ending party divisions. On April 27th, Hamas and Fatah signed a reconciliation draft agreement in Cairo, Egypt, following rounds of talks, with hope to end a four-year internal unrest in the Palestinian Territories. Both parties agreed, under Egyptian supervision, to form a transitional government soon. The two delegations, headed by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, head of the Fatah movement, and Khaled Mashaal, Hamas' politburo chief, discussed the security issue and ways to coordinate the two security forces that Hamas and Fatah control. They have set a date for general elections to take place, however it has not been disclosed yet. Egyptian sources said that the two parties will be invited into Egypt soon to an official signing ceremony.

Palestinian factions welcomed the deal that was signed in Cairo, and expressed hopes that the four years of internal conflict will come to an end. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, on the other hand, denounced the draft agreement of Palestinian unity, and added that “Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas chose peace with Hamas instead of peace with Israel”.

Read More | In Light Of Palestinian Unity Deal, U.S. Threatens To Cut Aid To Palestinian Authority