Muvman Liberasyon Fam Expresses Appreciation for All in the Women’s Peace March
06.03.2024
LALIT has pleasure in publishing the following communiqué received today from the Muvman Liberasyon Fam:
The Muvman Liberasyon Fam would like to put on record in public our appreciation of all the women’s organizations and women’s wings of unions, of political parties and of associations, for their contribution to the success of the 1 March Women’s Peace March against the genocide that Israel is conducting against the people of Palestine. It was an important way to mark this year’s International Women’s Day.
Together we showed our solidarity with the people of Gaza and the whole of Palestine. Together we called for support for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire, stop to the bombing, and for aid to go in at once through all the crossings, and for the Government to support the South African case at the ICJ, where there has already been a provisional judgment that Israel is “plausibly” perpetrating a genocide. It must stop. Together we denounced those Western Governments, in particular the USA, for their continued supply of arms, funds and political cover for the genocide.
In particular, we would like to say how each organization contributed to us all, together, resuscitating the old Mauritian political tradition of different organizations co-operating together in a common action, like our street demonstration, on the points on which we agree. We took up the tradition of meeting in the Company Gardens, a tradition that began with the first mass women’s gathering in there in 1978. We took up the tradition of women opposing colonization and occupation that Chagossian women with MLF and LALIT women developed during the 1981 women’s protests against the UK-USA occupation of Diego Garcia and the rest of Chagos, at which women were attacked by Riot Police at the Company Gardens and then arrested, held in police cells and then charged. The delegation from the Chagos Refugees Group showed the lasting nature of the strugggle.
We also really appreciate those organizations and individual women who so carefully prepared beforehand – some by holding a small meeting with an MLF member so as to fine-tune ideas and procedures before the march, some by asking us to spell out the platform of the march for them, others to check on appropriate slogans for on-line posters, or for banners and pancartes on the day, and those who are, together with us, members of SOMALP, for mobilizing their members. Women participants arrived early, chatted in the shade, so that we could start at midday sharp as planned. We apologize for ending some 15 minutes later than planned.
And MLF also respects the contribution of each of, and all, the fine women and girls who, together, made the march a success, opening the way for further actions in the future, that will help stop this genocide, truly the worst crime of patriarchy. The contribution of a group of women from Rodrigues, who wrote a letter of support for the march, was a key contribution, making the march into a march of the women of “Republic of Mauritius”.
We thank the three men who offered voluntarily to chronicle the march for us – two with photographs and one filming.
We would also like to express our respect for the work done by journalists, of Le Mauricien, Week-End, Radio One, Defimedia and for their articles, reports and live-stream, respectively. The articles and radio reports give a thorough description of the event, while the live-stream shows the process in the centre of Port Louis as a whole. Even the small group of police officers delegated to work with us in relation to traffic, acted with discretion, respect for the march, and keeping an appropriately low profile.
May the genocide stop, and Palestine be free!
Muvman Liberasyon Fam
