Education finally authorizes the projection of 'Palestine 36' in Chaca

The territorial Directorate of Education of the DGA in Uesca has finally authorized the screening of 'Palestine 36' for next Thursday, October 22nd, in the assembly hall of the IES Domingo Miral de Chaca. This decision comes after the same body disauthorized, shortly before its start, the cultural event organized by Jaca con Palestina and the Acicate Association, initially scheduled for October 7th. The organizing organizations denounce that the suspension meant a prior restriction on freedom of expression and question why the Administration took over the arguments of an external entity without offering them the possibility to present objections. Therefore, they announce the sending of a formal complaint to both the Territorial Directorate of Education and the institute's management. On October 7th, the territorial director of Education in Uesca, Carlos Oliván Villobas, sent an email to the center with the subject "Postponement of screening," in which he communicated that the activity was postponed to "guarantee the neutrality and impartiality" of the event and indicated that another convenient date would be sought. The communication was supported by a written statement from the Association of Judeo Aragonese Friendship, which considered that the screening was an attack on the neutrality of the Administration and educational spaces, as well as the coincidence of the date with the anniversary of the Hamas attack of 2023. However, as Jaca con Palestina and Acicate explain, the Education communication itself recognized that the general position of the territorial Directorate and the Department of Education of the DGA is to allow cultural activities of a non-political nature in educational centers and not to judge their neutrality beforehand. The entities consider it contradictory that, despite this, the activity was suspended without first hearing from those who had organized it. The decision of the Government of Aragon was communicated when the event had been publicly announced for days, the projection rights had already been acquired, and the portrait of the Palestinian artist Taqi Spateen, intended for the center, was ready for delivery. Dozens of people were preparing to attend the IES Chaques when they learned of the suspension, which, according to the organizers, caused indignation among those who found themselves at the door of the IES Domingo Miral without being able to participate in the activity. "Culture is not censored nor postponed" The DGA's educational administration recalls that neither "the Administration nor the institute is responsible" for the opinions expressed during the debate after the film, for which responsibility belongs to those who express them. It also maintains that the activity will have no economic compensation, tickets, or donations. The organizing organizations emphasize that the new screening will be open and free and defend that institutional neutrality should serve to guarantee freedom of expression, not to restrict it beforehand. In their opinion, the possibility of expressing different positions and having a plural debate is part of the guarantees that public spaces must offer. "An association can ask for whatever it wants, but the Administration cannot assume its arguments as its own. Rights cannot depend on who pushes first," they say from Jaca con Palestina. The new poster for the activity incorporates a slogan that the organizers want to turn into a response to what happened: "Culture is not censored nor postponed!" A film about the Palestinian revolt of 1936 'Palestine 36', directed by the Palestinian filmmaker Annemarie Jacir, narrates the peasant revolt of 1936-1939 during the British Mandate over Palestine. The organizations consider it arbitrary that the activity was postponed due to its supposed relation to October 7, 2023, since the film deals with historical events from 1936, prior to both Hamas and the creation of the State of Israel. The entities also highlight the international recognition of the work, which received twenty minutes of applause at the Toronto Festival and was chosen as the best film at the International Film Festival of Tokyo. The film is also among those shortlisted for the Oscar awards and has been released in cinemas in various countries, including Germany and Australia. The social entities of the north of the country mention another episode related to the difficulties in screening the film: in January, the Israeli police prevented a screening in East Jerusalem, and, according to the organizations, the producer denounced the broadcast of an official notice prohibiting future screenings. Jaca con Palestina and Acicate clarify that these cases are not equivalent, but they regret that a work internationally recognized has also encountered obstacles in Chaca. Formal complaint to the DGA to demand explanations Jaca con Palestina and Acicate will send a letter to the Territorial Directorate of Education and the management of the IES Domingo Miral to request clarifications on the procedure followed and the reasons that motivated the suspension. The organizations consider that what happened constituted a prior restriction on freedom of expression and that, in their judgment, it violates Article 20.2 of the Spanish Constitution, which prohibits prior censorship. They also question respect for the objectivity required of the public Administration. In their letter they will request that the body that adopted the decision, the facts and the norms on which it was based, the role played by the external entity's statement, and whether the organizers were given the same opportunity to object. They will also demand information on whether less restrictive alternatives were considered, what the criteria are for giving up the assembly hall, and how to access the administrative file. The entities insist that they do not question the right of any association to express its opinions or request actions from the Administration. Their criticism is directed at the fact that these objections were assumed by the Aragonese educational authority to the point of disauthorizing a cultural activity at the last minute, without listening to its promoters. They consider that this way of proceeding erodes democratic plurality and institutional impartiality by turning the pressure of a third party into a criterion for administrative action. Request that 'Palestine 36' also reach the Congress Palace The authorization for October 22nd will not be the only way the organizations will try to open to facilitate citizens' access to the film. Jaca con Palestina will present a formal request to the Culture Department of the Chaca City Council and the Congress Palace to allow the work to be screened in this public space as well. The organizers maintain that a film shown in hundreds of cinemas throughout the Spanish State should not be limited to an assembly hall of an institute. In their view, institutional neutrality should favor the work reaching the entire population of Chaca, rather than becoming an obstacle to its dissemination. Withdrawal of permission and freedom of expression claims The suspension of the screening had already generated criticism and concern in Chaca. The event was announced for October 7th as a Human Rights day, organized by Jaca con Palestina, with the collaboration of Acicate. The program included the presentation of a painting dedicated to the city by the Palestinian muralist Taqi Spateen, the screening of the film, and an open discussion about the historical origins of the conflict in the Middle East and its current situation. The choice of the date responded to the will to reflect on the historical context of British colonization and to remember that October 7, 2023, does not mark the beginning of the Palestinian conflict. The withdrawal of authorization, communicated a few hours before the start, prevented the day from being celebrated as planned. The decision also received criticism from Chunta Aragonesista. Laura Climente Laín, CHA spokesperson in the Chaca City Council and in the Chacetania region, warned that suspending a cultural activity after it had been authorized raises questions about access to public educational spaces and about guarantees for freedom of expression and access to culture. For her part, Isabel Lasobras Pina, CHA deputy spokesperson and spokesperson for training in the Commission for Education, Science, and Universities of the Cortes of Aragon, announced parliamentary initiatives to ask for explanations from the Government of Aragon and clarify the criteria applied. With the new date of October 22nd, Jaca con Palestina and Acicate maintain their demand for explanations about the initial suspension and claim guarantees so that cultural activities and human rights debates can take place in public spaces without prior restrictions. More information about the genocide in Palestine in this special.