A group of people held a documentary-screening event on Saturday in Taipei to show support for Palestinians and to shed light on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict’s complex history, as some participants urged Taiwan to understand the plight of Palestinians.
The event, held at the 228 Peace Memorial Park, was initiated by a group of people with involvement in social movements, including those advocating for labor rights and migrant workers’ rights.
Lala Lau (劉璧嘉), a member of the Taiwan International Student Movement and one of the initiators, said the event aimed to showcase the conflict’s longer historical background, as the reportage on Palestine and the “Global South” in general has been lacking in Taiwan.
Photo: CNA
Without an understanding of the longer historical context, it is easy to have “an illusion that Hamas made an assault all of a sudden,” Lau said. “But this is ignoring Israel’s attacks and repression against the Palestinian people that have been ongoing for years.”
“We are also against Hamas’ indiscriminate attack [against innocent people], but we are also more willing to place it in a longer time frame,” she added.
Thorsteinn Kristinsson, an Icelander working in academia, said he was there to show solidarity with Palestinians and their struggle, and to call for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip as Israeli bombings continue in retaliation for Hamas’ attack on Oct. 7.
Farhan Idris and Ben Seet, both Singaporeans working in Taiwan, said they came to show support for Palestinians at an event that is rarely seen locally.
“Around the world, there have been a lot of protests showing solidarity with the Palestinians, but since I’ve lived here there’s nothing, which is a bit concerning for me,” Idris said, lamenting that demonstrations about the issue are not allowed at all in Singapore.
He said he hopes people could understand that Israeli occupation of Palestinian areas has been ongoing for more than 70 years.
“I think people should know that the whole thing did not start from Oct. 7,” Idris said.
Seet said that as Taiwan is also a small country living under the threat of a large neighbor, “more Taiwanese should understand the plight of the Palestinians.”
The documentary screened was Gaza Fights for Freedom produced in 2019. Organizers said the event was held in “picnic style” to welcome peaceful discussion and exchange of opinions.
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