The mayor of the Brazilian port city of Belem, Edmilson Rodrigues, has declared his city an Apartheid Free Zone, denouncing Israel’s “expulsion of a people from their ancestral territory, a true apartheid”, the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement announced on Tuesday.
Belem, the capital of the state of Para in the Amazonas, has a history of bringing indigenous and other people together in the struggle for justice and building solidarity.
Belem’s decision follows those of other major cities in Europe.
"Viva Palestina": Edmilson Rodrigues @EdmilsonPSOL , the mayor of the Brazilian port city of Belem, declares his city a 'Free Apartheid Zone, denouncing #Israel's 'True #Apartheid'. pic.twitter.com/he7tAJl83h
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) May 17, 2023
The mayor of Barcelona, Spain, decided to suspend institutional ties with apartheid Israel and end twinning with Tel Aviv.
Liège city council, in Belgium, also cut ties with Israel while the Oslo city council, in Norway, excluded from public procurements companies that directly or indirectly contribute to Israel’s illegal settlement enterprise.
The Palestinian BDS National Committee (BNC) applauded the mayor of Belem’s move and called for other cities around the world to follow suit.
(MEMO, PC)
It is good Belem, Oslo & Liege are severing ties with Israel & supporting BDS. I hope there will be more cities around the world taking the same stand.