Group to campaign for Palestinian rights

PSC supporters campaigning in Rochdale in September 2010

Members and supporters of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) met last night (Monday 6 December 2010) to launch a Rochdale branch of PSC.

They welcomed representatives from the Manchester group and made provisional plans for an event in January to mark the second anniversary of Israel’s attacks on Gaza and for a further meeting to be held in February.

They also welcomed the news that both Rochdale MPs have signed Early Day Motion 108 and decided to write to Jim Dobbin and Simon Danczuk to urge them to continue to oppose Government proposals contained in the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Bill which they say would undermine Britain's ability to bring war criminals to justice, including members of the Israeli government.

Jenny Turner, Rochdale PSC Branch Coordinator and organiser of the meeting said: “PSC is an independent, non-governmental and non-party political organisation with members from many communities across Britain, and increasingly throughout the world.

“PSC represents people in Britain from all faiths and political parties, who have come together to work for peace and justice for the Palestinian people. PSC is opposed to all forms of racism, including anti-Jewish prejudice.”

PSC is established to campaign:

• for the right of self-determination for the Palestinian people
• for the right of return of the Palestinian people
• for the immediate withdrawal of the Israeli state from the occupied territories
  against the oppression and dispossession suffered by the Palestinian people
  in support of the rights of the Palestinian people and their struggle to achieve these rights
• to promote Palestinian civil society in the interests of democratic rights and social justice
• to oppose Israel's occupation and its aggression against neighbouring states
  in opposition to racism, including anti-Jewish prejudice and the apartheid and Zionist nature of the Israeli state

Ms Turner, concluded: "In Rochdale we are eager to start local campaigning straight away. The people of Palestine have been denied their rights for far too long.”