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The United Nations Human Rights Council will launch investigations into human rights abuses in the occupied Palestinian territories after a majority vote approved the decision on Monday. The resolution was passed by 36 of the total 47 members. The US was the only member that voted no, with the rest abstaining. The vote drew severe criticisms from Israel and praise from Palestinian officials.

The UN decision comes as a worldwide movement to put economic pressure on Israel for its treatment of the Palestinians has gained steam in the past few years. The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement (BDS) began in July 2005 by 171 Palestinian non-governmental organizations seeking to economically pressure companies that do business with Israel and to persuade companies to remove any monetary investments from Israel. BDS is based on a model first used by activists seeking to end the apartheid system in South Africa.

One such corporation being targeted by the BDS movement is Veolia, a French utilities and transportation multinational that runs the transit system between Israel and the occupied territories. The transit system is segregated, with buses avoiding Palestinians, traveling over Israeli-only roads (which have been paved over demolished Palestinian homes) and linking illegal settlements in the West Bank to Israel. Veolia also controls the Tovan landfill located on Palestinian land, but which is made for Israeli use only. Local BDS activists here in Los Angeles have targeted the city’s DASH bus system, which is run by Veolia through various contracts with the city of LA. BDS has called for a march and rally on Friday March 30 in downtown Los Angeles to protest the city’s contracts with Veolia. The event will commemorate both Cesar Chavez day and Land Day, a Palestinian commemoration date of events in 1976 that marks Israel’s takeover of large sections of Palestinian lands.

GUEST: Garrick Ruiz, activist with the LA Dump Veolia Campaign.

The March and Rally will happen on Friday March 30th:

There will be a 3 pm rally on the corner of North Spring and College (in front of a DASH Bus yard) in downtown LA
Following that there will be a march to LA City Hall
There will be a second rally at 4:30 pm in front of LA City Hall

Email Dumpveolia.la@gmail.com for more information. Visit the International BDS Movement’s website at www.bdsmovement.net.