Victoria

Groups that are part of the CAIA network agree with the basis of unity but organize their activities and actions in an independent manner.

CAIA-Victoria grew out of a series of five public meetings on the Palestine/Israel conflict, the last one consisting of a smaller "roundtable" with invited speaker Adam Hanieh of the Al Awda Right of Return Group, CUPE and CAIA. Previous invited speakers had included Dan Freeman-Maloy of York University, speaking on "AIPAC North", and Jon Elmer, Canadian freelance writer and photojournalist specializing in the the Middle East, reporting on his most recent trip (2007) to the Israeli Occupied Territories (see http://www.jonelmer.ca).

All were admission-free, held at the University of Victoria during February, March and early April this year (2007) and were organized by the Victoria Peace Coalition with the co-sponsorship of VIPIRG and CUPE local 50, among others.

Shortly thereafter, CAIA-Victoria was formed as a separate independent group, loosely affiliated with CAIA and working in solidarity with the Palestinian call for an international BDS campaign against Israeli apartheid.

The first of a series of regular boycott picket actions against the local Chapters bookstore located at Douglas and View Streets occurred shortly after the roundtable and have continued bi-weekly since then on Saturdays between 2 and 3 pm.

This Saturday, June 9, 2007, as part of International Palestine Solidarity Day, the 40th anniversary of Israeli occupation of the West Bank, Gaza Strip, Jerusalem and the Golan Hights, CAIA-Victoria will be dedicating the local Chapters boycott picket action to the long-suffering Palestinian people and their quest for a just and lasting peace for both sides.