Bosnia and Herzegovina for Free Palestine Protest: Organizers Call on Citizens to Join

(Patria) - A press conference was held at the Historical Museum of BiH ahead of the "Bosnia and Herzegovina for Free Palestine" protest, which will be held on Sunday, October 12th in Sarajevo. Organizers, an informal group of citizens, are calling for a gathering in support of the freedom of the Palestinian people.

Activist Rukija Husović reminded of the two difficult years during which Palestinians in Gaza have been exposed to the most brutal crimes, genocide, and a clear intention of complete extermination, and called on citizens to support a free Palestine at the protests: "We welcomed the ceasefire that has been in effect since yesterday with joy and hope, but at the same time, we are aware that the cessation of bombing does not necessarily mean freedom for the Palestinian people. Our protest is a message that we stand in solidarity with the Palestinians in the period ahead, which we also demand from the institutions of BiH. We demand respect for international law, an end to cooperation with Israel, and the establishment of lasting cooperation and assistance to the Palestinian people.".

University professor and activist Lejla Kreševljaković emphasized that among all the solidarity actions with Palestine organized in Bosnia and Herzegovina so far, including reading the names of murdered children in Gaza, this gathering is the first civic act where people, in addition to expressing sympathy, also send concrete demands to institutions, BiH authorities, and citizens to take a clear, moral, and legally based stance: "Our anti-fascist heritage and wartime experience do not allow us to remain silent in the face of injustice. It is precisely this experience that connects us with the people of Palestine and obliges us to react, not to tacitly approve what is happening before the eyes of the world today. As citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina, we are obliged to be a voice against forgetting and injustice, because we know how much silence can hurt.".

Lejla Kreševljaković pointed out that numerous trade unions and associations representing the fabric of this country's society have supported the protest: Trade Union of Secondary, Higher Education, Upbringing, Science, and Culture of Bosnia and Herzegovina; Trade Union of Primary Education and Upbringing of Sarajevo Canton; Trade Union of Healthcare Workers of KS; Trade Union of Communal Economy of KS; Independent Trade Union of State Employees and Officials of KS; Trade Union of the University of Sarajevo; Association of Teachers of KS; Student Parliament of the University of Sarajevo, as well as the Association of BH Journalists:

"At this moment, the systematic endangerment of teaching staff, students, and pupils in Gaza is particularly worrying, people whose only 'crime' is that they learned, taught, and preserved knowledge. The destruction of schools, universities, and scientific institutions is not just physical destruction, but an attempt to erase the identity of a people, to break the chain of education and heritage that every community builds through generations. When teachers are killed, faculties are destroyed, and libraries are bombed, it is not only the present that is attacked, but also the future. In such a context, the defense of the right to education becomes an act of moral resistance, and solidarity with educators, pupils, and students is the defense of the very meaning of humanity," Kreševljaković stated.

Lina Rayan Duranović, a doctor of Palestinian origin, also called on all citizens to join the protests, with the aim of preserving fundamental humanity and rejecting the normalization of genocide: "According to data from Medical Aid for Palestinians and the World Health Organization, more than 1,700 healthcare workers have been killed in Gaza in the past year, including more than 300 doctors, more than 500 nurses, and several hundred technicians and ambulance drivers. More than 80 percent of healthcare facilities have been destroyed, and hospitals have been turned into mass graves. Doctors were killed while trying to resuscitate children, nurses while holding patients' hands - this is not collateral damage but systematic extermination of those who save lives.".

Journalist Nadina Maličbegović emphasized that the protest is simultaneously an act of support and gratitude to colleagues from Gaza who, despite the impossible conditions in Gaza, made superhuman efforts to convey the truth to us:

"In Gaza, from October 7, 2023, to date, 270 media workers - journalists, cameramen, producers, photojournalists, and other technical staff - have been killed. In many cases, their families were killed along with them. According to investigations by human rights organizations and independent media, there are serious indications that media workers in Gaza were killed intentionally or that the Israeli army did not take the necessary measures to protect them - which constitutes a violation of international humanitarian law and a war crime," she stated, adding that at the same time, in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, Palestinian journalists are daily faced with repression and arrests.

"The ceasefire agreement in Gaza is an important step forward, but not freedom for Palestine. Someone must also be held accountable for the murder of our colleagues. Due to the ban on access for foreign journalists, our Palestinian colleagues risked their lives daily to bring us the truth. Going to the protest is also an opportunity to thank them," Maličbegović believes.

Almir Imširević, a playwright and university professor, also addressed the press conference, expressing disappointment that he was not speaking on behalf of all cultural workers: "Those colleagues who agree with me will have the opportunity to show it tomorrow and all the days to come." In his address, he highlighted the historical and cultural connection with Palestine, illustrating it through the dedication to the greatest playwright Shakespeare and his Hamlet: "It will probably surprise many that it was translated into Arabic in 1901, first performed in Palestine in 1911, and then in 1960, they received the definitive, original translation by Palestinian author Ibrahim Džebra.

I found it interesting how Palestinians corrected only one thing in their Hamlet - and as a playwright, that tells me a lot about what that nation wants to hear, what stories they want to watch. Namely, they corrected the ending. Palestinian Hamlet has a happy ending. It is our duty to enable Palestinians and other people to have that happy ending, perhaps not in Hamlet, but in their everyday lives.".

Humanitarian worker Boris Vitlačil emphasized that the intentional killing, wounding, or abduction of humanitarian workers and staff of organizations such as UNRWA, World Central Kitchen, medical teams, and other humanitarian actors is not just "unacceptable" but constitutes a serious violation of international humanitarian law and can be considered a crime against humanity:

"The use of hunger as a method of warfare is a war crime under existing treaty and customary law. Behind the legal terms lies an immediate and brutal reality: blocked aid convoys, delayed medical evacuations, closed crossings, and militarized distribution mechanisms turn aid into a tool of blackmail and force civilians and humanitarian workers into unbearable choices," he stated. He called for ensuring unimpeded, impartial, and protected humanitarian access, as well as an independent investigation into attacks and obstructions, and the sanctioning of those responsible.

The protest march "Bosnia and Herzegovina for Free Palestine" will begin at 1:00 PM at the Monument to the Murdered Children of Sarajevo 1992-1995, and will end in the park between the Historical and National Museums of BiH.

A short program is planned there, where Larisa Musić will perform two songs dedicated to Palestine. Actress Irma Alimanović will interpret Edin Krehić's poem "Song of a Child and Silence." Journalist Adnan Rondić will read the demands addressed to the institutions of BiH. The program will conclude with a performance of the song "Bella Ciao." The mixed choir Seljo, the female choir Corus Cadenza, and other volunteer singers, under the direction of conductor Tijana Vignjević, will send a message of solidarity with Palestine with their participation.