Dundee City Council flies the flag for Palestinians
Campaigners are celebrating the decision to fly the Palestinian flag from one of the most prominent council buildings in the heart of Dundee.
- By Maura Bowman
- Published in the Courier : 04.10.10
- Published online : 04.10.10 @ 06.00pm
The flag has been raised over the Caird Hall along with those of Dundee's other twin city nations after the local authority agreed to what Lord Provost John Letford described as a "compromise" suggestion.
Members of the Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign's Dundee Group and Tayside for Justice in Palestine had called for the council to raise the flag in the wake of the attack on a vessel carrying aid to Gaza in May.
More than 3000 people signed a petition backing the move and calling for Dundee City Council to support the next aid flotilla and to boycott Israeli goods and services.
One of the campaign's leaders, Kevin Moore, said that he was "over the moon" at the council's move on the issue.
However, he added, the fight is not over.
Though the council has agreed to fly the flag and to support a boat from Dundee in the next aid flotilla to Gaza, it has refused to introduce a boycott on Israel, believing it would be illegal.
Dundee man Ali El-Awaisi was on board the Mavi Marmara during the raid, in which nine people died, and he was invited to the city chambers to tell councillors of the ordeal.
After that meeting, councillors unanimously backed Lord Provost John Letford's motion condemning the violence and pressing for international efforts to be made to reach a peaceful solution.
Following a meeting with campaigners in July, council legal officers agreed to consider flying the national flag of all Dundee's twin cities — including the Palestinian flag to represent Nablus on the West Bank.
Mr Moore said he first learned of the campaign's success when a friend called to say he had spotted the flag atop the Caird Hall.
He then received a letter confirming the decision.
"With regards to our petition the city council and lord provost have agreed to two of the three requests," he said.
Pointing out that the Palestinian flag had been on display inside the city chambers with the other twin city nation flags, the lord provost said, "There was a compromise suggestion put forward that the Palestinian flag could fly with all the other flags and that is what is happening.
"Regarding the flotilla aspect, I would have no objection to supporting any ship that sailed from Dundee with essential humanitarian aid for Gaza."
He added that the council's legal advisers had consulted other local authorities over the suggestion of a boycott of Israeli goods and services. With the exception of one council, they considered such a move would be unlawful.
Palestinian flag picture used under Creative Commons licence courtesy of Flickr user takver.
09.00pm - 04.10.2010 Dundee Postgrad - Dundee University, Scotland Report This
While showing a visiting Israeli postgrad around the University campus, I can truthfully say the virulent anti-Israeli propaganda plastered over every available surface made me truly ashamed of the city of Dundee.
07.55am - 05.10.2010 Mark - dundee, Scotland Report This
So 3000 people want a flag raised, is this the request of the majority of Dundee civillains. Does this work both ways, would the council raise the Israeli flag if 3000 people asked. If these people want to moan about Palestine well go across there and do it. The Council should focus on local issues.
12.10pm - 05.10.2010 Kevin Moore - Dundee, Scotland Report This
This a move for freedom and the introduction of basic human rights for the people of Palestine. The people of Dundee should feel Proud.
02.36pm - 05.10.2010 St Andrews Student - St Andrews, Scotland Report This
@Dundee Postgrad. Please identify the 'virulent anti-Israeli propaganda' you speak of. Secondly, were you not simply embarrassed for the Israeli citizen?He/she sure as hell knows why his/her government is facing legitimate international criticism, and may well be one of those doing the criticizing.
03.54pm - 05.10.2010 Minnie - Dundee, UK Report This
The show of Dundee's solidarity with Palestine through this peaceful gesture is one that the city should be very proud of. How a flag is propaganda is beyond my understanding seeing as it is flying among all the other flags of Dundee's sister cities. It has made me proud to live in this city!
03.54pm - 05.10.2010 Sohail - Dundee, Scotland Report This
Well done to those who have shown solidarity with a peoples who have lost their land, been exiled by the millions and live as constant prisoners by a colonial settler force. Dundee and its citizens have alot to be proud about.
06.51pm - 05.10.2010 Robert Stewart - Blairgowrie, Scotland Report This
For sixty years the Palestinians have suffered expulsion, exile and subjugation while the world has turned a blind eye. <br /> Scotland has a proud tradition of struggling for social justice and I am grateful to Dundee City Council for the action they have taken.
07.11pm - 05.10.2010 nana - Dundee, Scotland Report This
I am so proud of Dundee Council to fly the Palestine flag,i would like to see suppermarket to stop selling Israeli goods.
07.21pm - 05.10.2010 Dundee Postgrad - Dundee, UK Report This
I believe the campaign at the time was to boycott all Israeli goods because of "Israeli Apartheid".<br /> She had a rather more pragmatic view of the whole thing, since she happened to come from one of the towns that the oppressed but ultimately peace loving Hamas regularly fired rockets into.
07.52pm - 05.10.2010 Just an ordinary man - Cupar, Scotland Report This
This is a statement that shows that Dundee is a city that can be proud of it's support of basic human rights for all
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