Revolutionaries Not Terrorists: Regarding the Attacks on ILPS Canada’s Webinar “Women in Defence of People’s Struggle”

You may access the Zoom Recording here: https://vimeo.com/920297384?share=copy&fbclid=IwAR1Lj_NH1_VaFZgCIGUnKYfXCRE2mdhyMB006FcOT5JzjEzh2J-tB5wPUnk

ILPS in Canada scheduled a Zoom webinar, under the theme of “Women in Defence of People’s Struggle”, on Sunday, March 3 at 1pm. The event featured two revolutionary women who have been at the forefront of anti-imperialist organizing since the 1960s, including Coni Ledesma of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines and Lelia Khaled of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. The event generated much interest, including 200 registrations for in-person watch parties organized in 5 Canadian cities: Vancouver, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, and Quebec City, and 300 registrations for online viewing.

At 12:53pm, several minutes before the event was due to start, we received a message from Zoom’s “Trust and Safety Team”, indicating the webinar violated Zoom’s Acceptable Use Guidelines on “Violent Extremist Groups”. As a result, Zoom suspended the original webinar link. This caused error messages for those attempting to join the meeting.

Unfortunately, this is not the first time Zoom has silenced Palestinian voices. Webinars and academic events popularizing the struggle of the Palestinian people also have been abruptly canceled by Zoom. Zoom accounts of individuals supporting the Palestinian movement have been suspended.

These incidents show the “terrorist” designation is a political tool that the ruling class, including big tech companies, use against the people. Terror labels have been weaponized against resistance and liberation movements to create fear, divide the people, justify the use of mass surveillance, and criminalize legitimate dissent.

Those resisting the current apartheid regime in Palestine are practicing self-defense against an occupier, which is a right protected under international law. Revolutionaries are not terrorists! Zoom must immediately stop silencing Palestinian voices, and ensure those in support of the Palestinian struggle can be heard freely.