BDS protests criminalization by Austrian govt.

Homa Lezgee
Press TV, Vienna

Members and supporters of the pro-Palestinian Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, the BDS in Austria are out to protest an impending parliamentary approval of a resolution condemning the campaign as anti-Semitic. This only months after a similar move by Germany. 

Protestors say the decision to officially label BDS as anti-Semitic is the prelude to a complete ban and censorship of a purely non-violent human rights movement.

The Austrian parliamentary resolution, already approved by the city council of Vienna amid protests calls on the government to strongly condemn the BDS movement, and its goals, in particular, the call for a boycott of Israeli products, companies, artists, scientists or athletes.

In an open letter to the Austrian parliament, a group of more than 200 Palestinian civil society organizations and human rights groups said BDS campaigns do not target anyone for being Jewish or Israeli but are aimed at institutions, corporations and governments that are complicit in Israeli violations of international law and Palestinian human rights.

We expect you to recognize, they say, that it is legally wrong and morally reprehensible to criminalize and suppress opposition to Israeli crimes under the pretext of fighting anti-semitism.

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