On Friday, 6 June, the Resistance Festival officially kicked off in the Belgian capital, Brussels, with wide participation from Palestinian, Arab, and international organizations and associations under the slogan: “Resistance Continues for 77 Years.” The event drew a remarkable turnout from members of the diaspora and supporters of the Palestinian cause.
The festival is organized by the Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network, in cooperation with a number of Palestinian and Arab youth, student, and cultural organizations in Belgium, along with international forces supporting the Palestinian people’s struggle. The event will span several days and includes a rich program of cultural, political, athletic, and artistic activities.
The festival’s opening day featured a screening of a series of documentary films highlighting Palestinian resistance and the suffering of refugees in exile and camps, which sparked wide engagement and group discussions following the screenings.
This year’s festival program includes:
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Political and intellectual seminars focusing on the role of resistance and the prisoners’ movement in the national project and the current challenges they face.
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Special events on the role of the Palestinian diaspora and refugee camps in the path of national struggle.
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Poetry evenings and art exhibitions celebrating the culture of return and liberation.
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Sports activities and competitions for children and youth.
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A popular bazaar featuring Palestinian books, publications, artworks, and traditional crafts.
Organizers affirm that this event serves as an “open popular platform to renew commitment to the path and culture of resistance, and to expand the circle of solidarity with the Palestinian people and their just cause.” They emphasized that “the diaspora is not a marginal space but is at the heart of the Palestinian national struggle and a vital bridge between the occupied homeland and the global battlefronts confronting the genocide in Gaza, as well as colonialism, racism, and fascism.”