Leading Palestinian activist hosted in Derry today

The Derry Trades Union Council, along with Trade Union Friends of Ireland, was today due to welcome Mr Barghouti to Derry.

During his visit, Omar will be meeting with Derry City and Strabane District Council officers and council members to discuss the BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) motion adopted by the Council in September 2016.

This evening, Omar will be addressing a public meeting in the UNISON building, Clarendon Street, Derry, with local people invited to attend.

Omar was invited to Ireland by ICTU to speak at the Biennial Delegate Conference in Belfast. He will be addressing the Conference on Thursday when the DTUC is proposing a motion on Palestinian Solidarity and will also be meeting with President Michael D. Higgins.

Omar Barghouti is a founding committee member of the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel and a co-founder of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement.

Barghouti states that: “BDS is a non-violent human rights movement that seeks freedom, justice and equality for the Palestinian people, based on international law and universal principles of human rights.

“As such, BDS has consistently and categorically rejected all forms of discrimination and racism, including anti-Semitism.”

In 2005, Palestinian civil society organisations issued a call for boycotts, divestment and sanctions (BDS) around the world as a form of non-violent pressure on Israel.