Gonna Find out Who's Naughty and Nice - Harry Fear is Coming to Town!

The Winter festivities means something different for all of us. For most it means reveling in the pleasures of Christmas shopping and gift giving and receiving. For the cynics and the less fortunate it is a reminder of the inequalities that still plague this world due to the greed of humans. For peoples of numerous religions it is a time of prayer, public displays of penitence, and religious celebrations. For most, it is a time to spend with one's family. For the poor and the destitute, it is an dreaded reminder of their situation and misery, and the bitter cold.

For me, three days in December will represent an incredible opportunity to meet, and learn from, one of my heroes - Harry Fear.

Harry is a British independent journalist, reporter, and documentary film-maker, now residing in Gaza. During the "Pillar of Defence" operation in the most recent escalation of the Israeli and Palestinian conflict, Harry was the only "western" journalist who dared reporting throughout the entire vicissitude. Without a formal studio or professional equipment and with a barely working internet connection, Harry reported for hours a day simply through skype.

His genuine reporting gave millions insight into the real situation in Palestine, the severity of the Israeli bombings on civilian centres in the Gaza strip, and kept the world informed about the true ramifications and effects of the PoD operation - all the while the mainstream media was either silent about, or complicit in, the genocide taking place in Palestine.
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Please take a moment to check out Harry's work:
Harry Fear's Website: http://www.harryfear.co.uk/
Harry Fear's Youtube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/harryfear

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For many and myself Harry Fear does not only represent the pinnacle of dedication to independent journalism, but is also the inspiration for many pro-Palestinian activists through his relentless commitment to the Palestinian cause. It reminds us that the plight of the oppressed is not limited to a geographical area or to an ethnicity, but it is a responsibility of all those who have a vibrant moral conscience, worldwide - from Cuba, to Ireland, to Palestine, people of conscience have stood, stand, and always will stand in the future, with and support the oppressed and the abused.

Harry Fear will be speaking at different venues in three of the largest cities in The Netherlands (The Hague, Amsterdam, and Utrecht) to university students, members of the academia  Dutch politicians, members of the media and, of course, the public at large. He will speak about both his recent reporting from Gaza, as well as his work as an independent journalist and as a loud voice outside the choir of the mainstream media.

So, if you live in the Netherlands, please check if you can make it and come enjoy a wonderful discussion and debate with Harry Fear!

Check below when Harry Fear will be in a town near you!

The Hague – Monday, December 17th, 2012 @ the International Institute of Social Studies – in cooperation with ISS Students.

www.facebook.com/events/345490912216593/

Amsterdam – Tuesday, December 18th, 2012 @ Universiteit van Amsterdam (Amsterdam University) – in cooperation with the International Socialist Students Association.

www.facebook.com/events/438795956186714/

Utrecht – Wednesday, December 19th, 2012 @ Utrecht University – In cooperation with CS Ubuntu Utrecht.

www.facebook.com/events/124956687664305/

For More information please check

Critical Collective: www.facebook.com/criticalcollective

Youth for Palestine: www.facebook.com/YFPNL

Please invite all your friends and share these splendid events!

Have Wonderful Holidays!

Police Brutality in the Netherlands - R.I.P Rishi Vigil Gets Roughed Up!

Seventeen-year-old Rishi Chandrikasing was shot dead by police on Novemeber 24th, 2012 after an anonymous phonecall reported "someone" who "may have a gun" in the Holland Spoor station of The Hague, the Netherlands.

Rishi was approached by three officers, one of which was in plain clothes, and told to raise his hands, without being told why. When Rishi reached for his belt to pull his pants up, one of the officers drew his weapon and shot him fatally in the neck. 

The family and friends have set up a shrine in the spot where he was shot, consisting of a few candles, flowers, and photos of Rishi.

Last week, the police and security forces attempted to forcibly remove the flowers and candles that his family and friends had placed where he was shot as a memorial. They preferred not to engage the people present and instead snuck in during the early morning to do so.

Last night (December 9th, 2012) a number of friends of Rishi and activists paying their respects were confronted by the police while attempting to re-establish the memorial shrine. I was late for the vigil but as soon as I arrived I immediately noticed the heavy police force in the station. I attempted to reach my comrades but I was stopped and not allowed to do so by the private station security.

After being almost beaten for asking what was going on and demanding information as a resident of the Netherlands, I decided to go to the other entrance and ask for some information:

I was then focibly dragged out of the underpassage and told to leave.

I then decided to return to the main entrance to the platform to at least record what was happening. The twenty-two people at the vigil were surrounded by at least as many policemen and security people, standing menacingly around them. They were roughed up by the Dutch police, who then proceeded to arrest the person who was filming these abuses.

You can see a member of the security force come out of nowhere at 00:19 and immediately attempts to grab the phone. After insisting for a few seconds that I had every right to film, i was rushed by the man and arrested.

I was charged and fined for "Obstructing Police Procedures" while standing at least 15 meters away from the scene. Other than an almost insignificant bump on my forehead I suffered no injury, which is more that can be said for the protesters. In the cell, I was able to document three substantial face injuries, including an anonymous protested with the right side of his face maimed, and another with clear nail marks on and under his eyelids from the security/police forces when they tried to pull him out of the crowd and arrest him.

This issue has become somewhat controversial as the rise of xenophobic and anti-immigrant sentiment in the Netherlands has been on the rise for a few years now, as has its opposition. Some accuse Rishi of being a criminal due to his alleged involvement in a stabbing, and and such his shooting was justified, but some basic factors have to be considered. 

• Even if Rishi had a criminal record, how is that in any way, shape, or form relevant? That would mean that I would be justified in being shot because I have a criminal record? How about if it had been your brother, your son?

• If he was investigated in a stabbing, he still would be innocent until proven guilty and does not provide a reason for him to be shot - still don't see how this makes any difference in the story. The fact that he was investigated for a stabbing is irrelevant in any case, since they only identified him AFTER he had been shot so, they had no idea who he was or what he had done. 

Just to clarify, not only he he was absolved of the crime but he also, as a matter of fact, even received reparations for the legal and personal damages he incurred.

Since the police code requires the policeman to be willing to sacrifice his or her own life to prevent the death of an innocent, including a suspect, as well as telling suspects what they are being stopped for, we can also add that...

1. The policeman should have not used possible lethal force (a gun) without strong enough suspicion, which they lacked (an anonymous phone call saying that "someone MAY have a gun" is not nearly suspicion enough).
2. The policeman, if he did feel threatened enough, had the right to use a gun but had no right to wound fatally without definite proof of the other person having a firearm him/herself or that was making an attempt to his life - yes, even at the risk of being shot first.
3. If he did not shoot the youth in the neck on purpose, he was obviously not well trained, and the persons or institution that were responsible for making sure that he was sufficiently able to be a policeman should be severely chastised.

In essence, to most of the people squawking about this: Your arguments make no sense. The policeman is either incompetent, or a murderer, and in either case someone should be held accountable. It may have been a mistake, but it was no accident. An accident is when a gun falls and a shot comes out of it, hitting someone. I am not saying this policeman WANTED to fatally shoot the youth. I'm saying that he did, without a good reason. That is murder. It may not have been premeditated, or intentional, but it's murder. Had it happened to any person other than a policeman, there would be no question.

You should be THANKFUL for the people who are standing up for YOUR RIGHTS!!! Because when they will be gone and all those who dared to fight are jailed or murdered, you would have wished that you had helped them.