Sao Paulo – Saba
The São Paulo State Legislative Assembly, in Brazil, commemorated Palestinian Land Day on Friday evening in an official session called by parliament member Monica Seixas.
The session was attended by a large number of members of the Palestinian and Arab communities, along with a number of Brazilian activists, politicians, and academics in solidarity with the Palestinian cause.
The session was attended by Mohammed Al-Qadri, President of the Latin Palestinian Forum in Brazil; Dr. Arlene Clemecha, Professor of Arab History in the Department of Oriental Studies at the University of São Paulo; journalist Bruno Altman, founder of the Opera Mundi website; Teresina Pinto, Palestine Coordinator for the Brazilian Workers' Party; Thuraya Musleh, Coordinator of the Strong Palestine Group in São Paulo; and Samir Oliveira, Executive Director of the Lauro Campus Marily Franco Foundation, affiliated with the Brazilian Socialism and Liberty Party.
The session also featured a special participation by Palestinian Legislative Council Member Mustafa Barghouti, who made a recorded intervention. The Palestinian national anthem was also played, amidst an atmosphere of solidarity and affirmation of the justness of the Palestinian cause and the right of the Palestinian people to resist the occupation and reclaim their land.
It is worth noting that Palestinians commemorate "Palestinian Land Day" on March 30 of each year. This day dates back to 1976, when widespread protests erupted in the villages and towns of the Galilee, the Triangle, and the Negev within the territories occupied in 1948, in response to the Israeli occupation authorities' decision to confiscate thousands of dunams of Palestinian land.
These protests were met with repression and gunfire by Israeli occupation forces, resulting in the martyrdom of six Palestinians and the injury and arrest of hundreds. Since then, this day has become a prominent annual milestone in the Palestinian national struggle, affirming the Palestinians' right to their land and national identity.
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