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Comment by Jacob Gough on August 1, 2011 at 0:30

Press Release

From: The Freedom Theatre in Jenin Refugee Camp, Occupied Palestinian Territory

1 August, 2011

Theatre under occupation

Following Wednesday 10^th July attack on The Freedom Theatre the two kidnapped persons, Adnan Naghnaghiye, head technician at the theatre and Bilal Saadi, chairperson of the association, were taken to the Jalame and Meggiddo high security prisons inside Israel. Their lawyer has been denied the right to talk to or visit either of them. The Israeli army has not yet given a motive for the attack and arrests, instead they have extended the administrative detention (a procedure that is illegal in accordance to international law) to 4 August. The lawyer is going to petition the supreme court.

The army spokesperson has claimed that the Israeli army did not raid the theatre. Photo and film documentation confirms that the army raid resulted in the shattering of most of the windows of the theatre's multimedia centre and office building. Witnesses also report harassment and threats to several theatre employees.

"Raiding densely populated Palestinian civilian areas in the middle of the night to carry out wanton arrests is common practice for the Israeli army, it is only that this time it befell people related to The Freedom Theatre" says Jacob Gough at The Freedom Theatre.

The Freedom Theatre demands that the Israeli authority immediately provide access to lawyers for our kidnapped friends and colleagues, and that they be immediately released and given due compensation.

Until this happens The Freedom Theatre urges all the friends and supporters of the theatre to contact their local Israeli representative office as well as their own Government’s foreign office forwarding these demands.

 

For more information please contact Jacob Gough at +972 (0)595348391 jacob@thefreedomtheatre.org or Jonatan Stanczak at: jonatan.stanczak@gmail.com

 

Comment by Dafydd Huw James on July 31, 2011 at 1:09

Please add my name, John.

Daf

x

Comment by Tim Price on July 29, 2011 at 11:30

Add my name John. I'll send a link out to Dirty Protest fans.

Comment by Jain Boon on July 29, 2011 at 8:43

Could you add my name John

Comment by National Theatre Wales on July 29, 2011 at 7:12

I am going to draft a letter and will post it here over the weekend. Anyone who wants to sign it just let me know and I will include your names on the list.  Please also encourage other theatre makers in/from Wales to add their names.  We are aiming for 50 signatories by some point next week, and will send it off to key newspapers and government bodies (Welsh and Israeli).

Comment by Peter Cox MBE on July 28, 2011 at 23:09

Just posted this on the Writers thread...

 

Petition or Open Letter? Or both?

 

Normally a petition needs a couple of months to generate a large enough number of signatories to give it some weight and impact. 

 

A petition is often submitted into an established democratic process asking for the concerns of the petitioners to be heard fairly in an established system - such as by the Welsh Assembly petitions committee.  The petitioners use this route because they believe the 'committee' will have the power to influence a review of a previously made decison.

 

We are in a slightly different position here where urgency is paramount and raising the public profile of condemnation is the most important thing in the short term.  The widespread condemnation then draws attention to the act which has been committed causing the perpertrators of the act to (hopefully) back off in some way.

 

In turn, that would then create the breathing space for further pressure to be applied by international bodies such as Equity etc.

 

The open letter could be written quickly (based on John's text) and signed by a representative group of theatre makers from Wales who we could gather support and permission from very quickly - even if they're in Edinburgh like Terry and Greg will be.  A minimum of twenty names would be helpful but fifty would be ideal. A few 'big hitter' names would draw media attention to it.  (eg a Michael Sheen)

 

This can then be submitted to the various appropriate targets.  eg... The Guardian and other newspaper including The Western Mail,  The Prime Minister, the Foreign Secretary and the Culture Secretary, The Israeli Ambassador, our respective MP's etc.

 

I would be happy to be the first signatory on such a letter, or the tenth or the fiftieth!

 

 

Comment by carmen medway-stephens on July 28, 2011 at 21:57

Are the TFT staff still being held?

Comment by National Theatre Wales on July 28, 2011 at 8:28

Okay, so here's a start for a petition text.  Amendments and improvements welcomed.  Once we have something agreed does anyone know the best way to distribute it as an online petition. I suggest we make it specifically from the Welsh theatre community, as I think that focus may be more important than numbers, but again that's only my opinion.  Here's my attempt at a text:

 

We, the theatre makers of Wales, deplore the recent attacks on Freedom Theatre, Jenin.  Freedom Theatre is, as its name indicates, a beacon for artistic expression and cultural co-operation.  Unless initiatives such as Freedom Theatre are nourished and supported, there can be little prospect for wider understanding and peace.  We call on the Israeli government to investigate and bring an end to these attacks, and on our fellow artists in Israel to support this extraordinary beacon of artistic hope.

 

Signed:

 

Comment by Jacob Gough on July 28, 2011 at 8:03

Thank you for your support guys.

We are asking people to contact their MPs and The Israeli Embassy in your countries to denounce the attack on the Freedom Theatre and demand the release of TFT staff. A petition as well is a good idea. As well as messages of support from many organisations and individuals around the world I also received one from Equity so if there is a petition they would be worth contacting.

 

I also hear a network of theatre practitioners in Lebanon will be organising a demonstration in support of The Freedom Theatre.

 

All support and any ideas for ways to show support are really appreciated.

 

Thank you all,

 

Jacob

Comment by abdul shayek on July 28, 2011 at 0:33

I agree with the messages below and think that we need to put together a petition of some sort and lend support as a community to the cause in accordance to what the company need.  This is  unjustified and needs attention and action.

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