#WeBDSuntil Tell Gov. Cuomo: “We will proudly continue to stand for justice and boycott Israel”

When I arrived the crowd was gathering outside the offices of Gov Cuomo yesterday at 3rd Ave btwn 40th & 42nd Streets outraged by Cuomo signing a McCarthyite executive order requiring state agencies to divest from organizations that support the Palestinian call to boycott companies profiting from, or cultural or academic institutions complicit in, Israel’s oppression of the Palestinian people. Furthermore, the order requires the creation of a publicly available blacklist of all companies and institutions that support the movement.

Tell Gov. Cuomo: We will proudly continue to stand for justice and boycott Israel until it complies with international law and respects Palestinian human rights!State-sanctioned backlash against the movement for Palestinian human rights has reached a new low: Gov. Cuomo just signed a McCarthyite executive order requiring state agencies to divest from organizations that support the Palestinian call to boycott companies profiting from, or cultural or academic iinstitutions complicit in, Israel’s oppression of the Palestinian people. Furthermore, the order requires the creation of a publicly available blacklist of all companies and institutions that support the movement.Boycott is a time-honored tool of communities across the globe. Cuomo’s move is blatantly unconstitutional and is shamelessly designed to attack the movement for Palestinian human rights.

Please join us! Tell Gov. Cuomo: We will continue to stand for justice and boycott Israel until the Palestinian people achieve freedom, justice, and equality. We will continue to boycott Israel because it is the right thing to do.

Woman holding picture of 3 women in Gaza in grief at the #WeBDSuntil action outside Cuomo’s office yesterday.

The crowd increased across the street where protestors circled up between 40th and 41st street on 3rd Ave. chanting that they will continue to Boycott until Palestine is a free state.

The Pro Palestinian protestors who are against Cuomo’s decision to sign an executive order requiring state agencies to divest from organizations that support the Palestinian call to boycott companies profiting from, or cultural or academic institutions complicit in, Israel’s oppression of the Palestinian people, out numbered the few holding signs Thanking Cuomo.

I interviewed Leslie Cagan from the Peace and Justice Movement whom I see at many rallies and protests told me that Cuomo signing an executive order “Is an attack on our right to speak up for the Palestinian people. I’m here with many other people to say, ‘YOU HAVE TO RESCIND THIS ORDER’. It’s a McCarthyite tactic, there’s a black list involved with it, IT’S NOT ONLY UNCONSTITUTIONAL IT’S IMMORAL IN THE FACE OF WHAT THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE DEAL WITH EVERY SINGLE DAY IN TERMS OF THE ILLEGAL AND OUTRAGEOUS OCCUPATION BY THE ISRAELIS “. I asked Leslie why she thinks Cuomo signed it and she said she’s sure he under pressure from the more mainstream established Jewish organizations. “THERE ARE STILL SOME VERY VERY POWERFUL, STRONG ZIONIST ORGANIZATIONS IN NYC and I wouldn’t be surprised if some of them gave him campaign $$ in the past with promised for the future. There were 2 or 3 bills introduced to the NY state legislature going nowhere because, that were going to die because of the strong opposition to the Constitution, the non Constitutionality of those laws. SOME OF THE GROUPS THAT SUPPORT A NON BDS POSITION WENT TO THE GOV AND SAID ‘We can’t get this through the legislature, we want you to do something AND HE JUMPED RIGHT ON BOARD”.

1st AMMENDMENT RIGHT TO BOYCOTT #BDS
GOV CUOMO PUT ME ON YOUR BLACKLIST

@CODEPINK

Jane Hershman of Jews Say “NO” who was one of the organizations who organized the demonstration told me “WE ARE SAYING, “NO WAY Mr. CUOMO”. Don’t use tactics. You don’t like what people say or do? Then you go and try to punish them. WE WILL NOT BE SILENT UNTIL THE PALESTINIANS LIVE IN DIGNITY, HAVE JUSTICE, HAVE QUALITY AND WE WILL BOYCOTT UNTIL CHILDREN ARE NOT IMPRISONED AND KILLED, HOUSES ARE NOT DEMOLISHED, UNITL THERE ARE NOT SPECIAL STREETS FOR ISRAELI JEWS THAT PALESTINIANS CANNOT WALK ON”.

The crowd chanted, “CUOMO DON’T YOU KNOW? ISRAELI APPARTHIED HAS GO TO GO”.

And HE BLACKLIST, WE PROTEST BOYCOTT, SANCTIONS AND DIVEST”

“BDS is a time honored tool”, Jane told me. “We have been very successful in defeating bills in the law that have to do with BDS, So Cuomo went over the head of his legislature and decided to enact this edict and we’re saying, ‘YOU BETTER RESCIND IT. We’re very proud of what we’re doing and we’re going to do MORE of it because of what you put out”.

This couple with their son in a carriage explained to me what they wee chanting, “Andrew Cuomo What a Shame playing Joe McCarthy’s game. IT’S VERY McCARTHYITE WHAT CUOMO IS DOING. The same way Joe McCarthy, back in the 1950’s attempted to persecute people for political speech that’s what Cuomo is doing and it’s a violation of the Spirit if not the letter of the First Amendment”. When I asked him why he thinks Cuomo is doing it he replied, “It’s very appealing to a lot of voters in NY state. It’s a popular position and I understand why, as a politician he does that. ISRAEL IS AN IMPORTANT ISSUE IN NY FOR MANY REASONS. It’s PANDERING, IT’S UNETHICAL and Possibly Illegal, I’m not a lawyer, but”. AMERICAN EVANGELICALISM, they gave me as the reason the U.S. has been issuing “aid to Israel for decades. “BDS is a Movement that is protesting non violently against it. IT’S A NO BRAINER THAT IT SHOULD BE LEGAL TO DO THAT. CUOMO HAS NO ETHICAL LEG TO STAND ON”.- Jeoff Johnson

Organized by Adalah-NY: The New York Campaign for the Boycott of Israel; Jewish Voice for Peace-NY; and Jews Say No!

#WeBDSuntil Tell Gov. Cuomo: “We will proudly continue to stand for justice and boycott Israel”

Author: Cat April Watters

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