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Facebook: Protest For Gaza Censored and Steven Argue Blocked From Posting

by Anya McMullen
Despite the attempts by Facebook to censor the Oakland block the Boat protest, the protest successfully blocked a ship of the Israeli Zim shipping line from unloading on August 16th, 2014. Still, the arrogance of Facebook in censoring the protest, the Revolutionary Tendency, and Steven Argue for this peaceful and legal action should be exposed.
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Photo of Israeli Prime Minister meeting with Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg from theboost


Facebook: Protest For Gaza Censored and Steven Argue Blocked From Posting

The Revolutionary Tendency page contained a post for a protest to stop the mass murder that Israel is carrying out in Gaza. That post had over 150 shares (maybe far more) and was being shared by more and more people. Facebook then intervened and removed the post a day before the protest, doing its up most to sabotage the protest. Here are the notifications given by Facebook to Steven Argue when he logged in.

"We removed the post below because it doesn't follow the Facebook Community Standards" I will repost the exact protest text of the flyer briefly to show it does not violate any of Facebook's so-called "Community Standards". The exact photo of an Israeli boat that went with the post can also be seen at the following site:

Pro-Palestinian, Anti-Zionist, Not Anti-Jew
https://www.facebook.com/groups/332681273558189/

The next notice Steven Argue received after clicking on "continue" was:

"You’re Temporarily Blocked From Posting

"This temporary block will last 24 hours, and you won’t be able to post on Facebook until it’s finished.

"Please keep in mind that people who repeatedly post things that aren’t allowed on Facebook may have their accounts permanently disabled."

Steven Argue was then directed to the Revolutionary Tendency page and instructed to remove anything else that may violate Facebook Community Standards under risk of being banned by Facebook. Obviously, anything criticizing Israel is in violation of “Facebook Community Standards”, but Steven Argue refuses to remove anything from the Revolutionary Tendency site.

Revolutionary Tendency
https://www.facebook.com/RevolutionaryTendency

Far from Steven Argue being in the wrong here, it is Facebook that is violating the free speech rights of all of its users by censoring notification of an important protest and attempting to intimidate people against posting anything that criticizes Israel.

Here was the protest notification that they are directly censoring.

Block the Boat! Stop Israel at the Port of Oakland!

Actions Also in New York, Long Beach, Tacoma, and Seattle

Zionism isn’t welcome on our Coast!

West Coast Blockade of the Israeli Zim Ship
Port of Oakland
Saturday, August 16th
5am
Meet at West Oakland Bart and march to Berth 57

STOP THE SIEGE ON GAZA!

RIGHT OF RETURN FOR ALL PALESTINIAN REFUGEES!

FREE ALL POLITICAL PRISONERS!

What’s happening?

The world has watched in horror as Israel has continued to bombard and devastate Gaza. Millions around the globe have come out in support of the Palestinian people and against the Zionist regime, holding massive marches, demonstrations, and actions. Here in the Bay, San Francisco witnessed some of the biggest mobilizations in recent years, with a series of marches, each bringing out thousands of people. It’s time to step it up.

Call to Action

Palestine is calling us to action! Palestinians laborers, Palestinian General Federation Trade Union (PGFTU), have called on workers around the world to refuse to handle Israel goods. Palestinians throughout Gaza, the West Bank and 1948 Palestine have demonstrated their unity in the struggle against Apartheid Israel and have taken to the streets in the tens of thousands, bravely facing Israeli military armed with US made weapons to call on the international community to stand with them as they resist Zionism throughout all of historic Palestine. We will be answering this call by organizing community pickets at the Port of Oakland, asking the longshoreman to honor this request and to stand with the people of Palestine as they have done in the past.

Historical Background

During apartheid in South Africa, ILWU workers made history when they refused to unload South African cargo in San Francisco in 1984. This action was a major catalyst for international anti-apartheid solidarity and struggle worldwide. In 2010, after a Turkish flotilla, the Mavi Marmara, was attacked by Israel for attempting to bring humanitarian aid to Gaza, we built on ILWU’s history and successfully blocked the Israeli Zim ship from being unloaded at the Port of Oakland – the first time in US history an Israeli ship was blocked. We will be continuing this legacy by organizing to block the Israeli ship once again. And just as apartheid fell in South Africa, so too it will fall in Israel!

Sustained BDS in the Bay

If there is one thing that the latest Israeli attacks show, it’s the power of Palestinian resilience. The resistance in Gaza is still alive and thriving, despite Israel’s ongoing attempts to destroy it. But we should always remember that the Palestinian resistance did not begin with Israel’s latest bombardment, nor did it begin during the last bombardment. It has been going on since 1948, since Israel came into existence. And it will not cease until Israeli apartheid falls.

We refuse to allow Israel to conduct its business as usual, here in the Bay and everywhere!

Every Saturday, the Israeli owned Zim shipping line docks and unloads its cargo at the Port of Oakland. Let this action be the beginning of a sustained campaign to stop the Israeli ship from ever unloading in our town.

From Seattle to Oakland to Los Angeles – turn the Israeli ship around!

We encourage all of our allies on the West Coast to join us in ensuring that Zim ships are not welcome anywhere.

Oakland:
https://www.facebook.com/events/1447374682195857/

Long Beach:
https://www.facebook.com/events/435461866594072/

Tacoma and Seattle:
https://www.facebook.com/events/678819478876975/

New York:
https://www.facebook.com/events/429725363832321/

Not in Palestine

Not in the Bay

Not Anywhere

Stand Against Zionism Everywhere

Endorsed by:

American Friends Service Committee

American Muslims for Palestine

ANSWER Coalition

Arab Youth Organizing (AYO)

AROC: Arab Resource & Organizing Center

ASATA: Alliance of South Asians Taking Action

BAYAN-USA

Bay Area Latin America Solidarity Coalition

Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists Social Justice Committee

Black Organizing Leadership and Dignity (BOLD)

Catalyst Project

CodePink Washington

Communist Party of San Francisco

Critical Resistance – LA

Critical Resistance – Oakland

Descoloniza a Oakland/Decolonize Oakland

Free Palestine Movement

Freedom Archives

Friends of Deir Ibzi’a

Fuerza Mundial/Pueblos en Movimiento

General Union of Palestine Students – SFSU

Global Women’s Strike

Gray Panthers of San Francisco

Haiti Action Committee

International Action Center

International Jewish Anti Zionist Network

International Socialist Organization

International Tribunal of Conscience for Camilo

ISM-Nor Cal

Jews for Palestinian Right of Return

Justice for Palestinians

Labor for Palestine

Lake Merritt Neighbors Organized for Peace

Malcolm X Grassroots Movement

Marcha Patriotica (Colombia) – California chapter

Middle East Children’s Alliance (MECA)

National Lawyers Guild SFBA Chapter

NorCal Friends of Sabeel

OccupySF Action Council

ONYX Organizing Committee

Palestinian Youth Movement

Revolutionary Tendency

Queers Undermining Israeli Terror

San Francisco Green Party

Socialist Organizer

SOUL: School of Unity and Liberation

Stanford Students for Justice in Palestine

Students for Justice in Palestine – Cal

Totally Radical Muslims

US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation

US Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott

US Palestinian Community Network

World Can’t Wait Bay Area

Workers World Party

Xicana Moratorium

In addition, Steven Argue was prevented from circulating this important update to the thousands of people who had seen the first Revolutionary Tendency post.:

URGENT: Ship is delayed!! Our organizing is working!

Come out to West Oakland Bart Saturday at 3pm NOT 5am!

Bring more people! Come louder and stronger and let's stop Israel at the Port of Oakland! Zionism isn't welcome in our town!

Stop Israel at the Port
Zionism isn't welcome on our Coast!

West Coast Blockade of the Israeli Zim Ship

Port of Oakland
Saturday, August 16th
3pm – meet at West Oakland Bart and march to Berth 57

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