Richard Boyd Barrett welcomes Freedom Theatre from Janine
Richard Boyd Barrett welcomed performers and participants from Janine Refugee Camp's Freedom Theatre and urged people to attend their production Return to Palestine at the Project Arts Centre. He described the destruction of the Janine theatre in successive Israeli attacks in 2023 and said the camp has been effectively ethnically cleansed, framing the visit as cultural resistance.
Visit and performance
The speaker said the performers will stage Return to Palestine starting next Wednesday in the Project Arts Centre as part of the Shockton Saoirse-Dom-Palestine week of Freedom for Palestine organised by Karja Araklam Nishirsa in Eran. He encouraged people to go to the Project Arts Centre to see the performance and other events in the week.
Destruction of Janine theatre
He said the Janine theatre was destroyed by the Israelis in one of successive attacks in 2023 before October the 7th. He described the theatre as having been destroyed in mid-performance, where lots of people were killed in attacks by the Israeli occupation forces in Janine.
Situation in the camp
The speaker said the entire Janine Refugee Camp has been effectively ethnically cleansed and has been subject to absolutely brutal attacks in the occupied West Bank. He argued this history puts to lie the suggestion by Israel that the events were all to do with October the 7th.
Cultural resistance and responses
He framed the visiting artists as brought by Irish artists as part of a cultural resistance of the Palestinian people against their dehumanisation, occupation and the destruction of that theatre. Another deputy thanked him for highlighting the issue, joined in welcoming the performers and noted that culture and art can be an important part of shining a spotlight on the horrors experienced there.
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Tony Stout, will you join me in welcoming performers and participants from Janine Refugee Camp of the Freedom Theatre who are coming here. They will be performing Return to Palestine starting next Wednesday in the Project Arts Centre as part of the Shockton Saoirse-Dom-Palestine week of Freedom for Palestine organised by Karja Araklam Nishirsa in Eran. Friends of the Freedom Theatre in Palestine. And just to understand context, Janine and this theatre was destroyed by the Israelis in one of successive attacks in 2023 before October the 7th. Since then, the entire Janine Refugee Camp has been effectively ethnically cleansed. It has been subject to absolutely brutal attacks in the occupied West Bank. You know, putting to lie the suggestion by Israel that it was all to do with October the 7th. But these artists are coming here brought by Irish artists as part of a cultural resistance of the Palestinian people against their dehumanisation, their occupation and the destruction of that theatre. which was destroyed in mid-performance, where lots of people were killed in these attacks by the Israeli occupation forces in Janine. They deserve to be welcomed and I would encourage people to go to the Project Arts Centre to go to see the performance they're putting on and some of the other events that are part of the week. Thanks very much to Deputy Boyd Barrett for highlighting this issue and I join him in welcoming the performers and participants from the theatre group and thank you for reminding us of the horrific horrors that have been experienced there and culture and art can often be a very important part of shining a spotlight on this. And indeed I join you in welcoming.
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