We are free to witness - open letter

Call to Action - Our children and communities are bearing witness to the injustice and destruction of lives in Gaza. We are seeing our children being policed, punished, harassed and silenced in their declaration of solidarity with the Palestinian struggle for liberation. We will not be silenced in the face of oppression.

The Government, police and structures of power are disturbed and unsettled when they see our communities who are routinely dehumanised and silenced walk and speak out for their freedom and dreams.

The Department of Education guidance is encouraging schools to discipline students who express solidarity with Palestine through suspensions, exclusions, referrals to Prevent and other sanctions.

This will only further create division in our communities and will not help the increase in Islamophobia and anti-semitism. Schools have a duty of care which should prioritise students’ physical, emotional and mental wellbeing.

This is our call to action, because we know the oppression of one community always leaves another unsafe and we see this not only in Gaza but also here. We see the colonial muscles of divide and conquer being used right now and we refuse to play that game and to be silenced.

We know that we stand on a history built on fighting all forms of oppression, racism, anti-semitism and Islamophobia. This resistance has always been strong and will continue to be renewed and endure.

We worked with parents, educators and young people to create this call to action, to mobilise around Palestinian solidarity to centre anti-racist practice and solidarity in education and movement. Please sign here to help mobilise and make sure we will not be silent in the face oppression because of none of us are free until Palestine is free.