Working for solidarity while defending our communities

SPSC Statement
19 April 2025 

SPSC’s primary purpose is to channel public opposition to the Zionist settler colonial project and to work to build effective solidarity with the Palestinian people as an extension to their struggle for freedom against Israel's programme of apartheid, ethnic cleansing, occupation and genocide in Palestine. This means standing against the complicity of our governments, institutions and corporations in Israel’s violations of Palestinian rights.  

Eighteen months into the genocide, with open calls from Israel for the completion of the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians from their land, and with Netanyahu and Trump championing the rise of the far right, our task is a difficult one. SPSC’s view, and that of organisations across the world and millions of activists who have mobilised against the genocide, is that our work is part of a broader movement for equality, freedom and justice for all people.  

In the United States, Palestine solidarity activists who are themselves in the firing line are speaking up and organising against Trump’s attacks on people of colour, immigrants, and trans communities. In the first few days of office, the Trump administration attacked the fundamental freedoms of transgender people. This week, the Supreme Court made a ruling that will have serious consequences for the transgender communities in the UK.  

The Palestine solidarity movement, those millions who have been on the streets and organising against Israel’s genocide of the Palestinian people, is broad and made up of people with differences and experiences, including but not limited to those of race, class, gender, gender identity, disability, ethnicity, sexual orientation, nationality, faith, migration and employment status, that combine and intersect in complex and cumulative ways. These unequally and differently impact us and our perspectives in ways that aren’t always apparent to ourselves. 

We must find ways to engage each other on issues that are important to our movement with an open and comradely approach, while fighting alongside those with whom we might disagree and who have very different perspectives from our own. 

Our focus must be on solidarity for freedom, equality, and justice for the Palestinian people. We must put aside our differences to build a strong and broad movement, especially as we organise to defeat the far right. However, there are times when we must make a strong stand in solidarity with communities under attack. 

For this reason, Tommy Sheridan should be asked to stand down as speaker at today’s GGEC national demonstration. We understand that he has been a longtime supporter of Palestinian rights, but we also recognise that transgender communities are under attack and believe posts that he has shared contribute to the marginalising of transgender people. SPSC, as a component part of GGEC, will share this statement with our partners on the committee and engage with them on the issue. 

We understand that some members, supporters and partners will disagree with our position or with our taking a position. However, we hope that this statement will contribute positively to a conversation about the nature of our movement and how we can best work together for Palestinian freedom, equality, and justice while also defending the freedoms and rights of our communities here in Scotland.