On Palestine and Skateboarding
“Skateboarding is a transnational subversion to systems of oppression. Where state-sanctioned violence erects walls from Mexico to Palestine, our craft transcends borders – transcends skateboarding. We are connected through pavement, sharing our streets, our struggles, and pushing for solidarity.”
- Maen Hammad, Palestinian skateboarder
Women Skate The World (WSTW) was founded in April 2018 by Amber (UK) and Nanja (NL), who met on a volunteer trip teaching skateboard lessons to kids in Palestine. The first week, there were only three girls joining the skateboard sessions. Upon that, they implemented a weekly girl session.Three weeks later, thirty girls would turn up for each session. The idea for WSTW was born.
In the year 2020, WSTW started the Girls & Queers New Wave skateboard sessions in Amsterdam and Rotterdam. Following the thought of intersectional feminism, WSTW has been in the ongoing process of extending its support to all marginalised groups.
In the last 75 years, the land rights, democratic rights and human rights of Palestinians have been systematically eroded. This information is important to keep in mind when looking at what happened after the 7th of October this year.
The ongoing genocide on Palestinians in Gaza has left us speechless. The death toll in Gaza has reached 18.800, with over 51.000 injured and 1,9 million people displaced. Gaza is a small piece of land with 2,2 million inhabitants: where no place or no one is safe under the continuous bombing. With almost everything demolished and almost everyone displaced the inhabitants of Gaza are facing starvation, and catastrophic sanitary conditions.
Skateboarding is and has been a way to resist the oppression built into our environment, reclaim these spaces for ourselves and stand in solidarity with each other. As queer and/or female skaters, we acknowledge that the struggle of Palestinian liberation and queerfeminist liberation are linked – we fight against the same systems of oppression.
We reject any form of homonationalism and pinkwashing by Western governments, which single out homophobia within Arab and Muslim societies to dehumanise, justify the oppression of and deny basic human rights to Palestinian people.
There is no pride in genocide.
We are deeply worried about the rise of antisemitic and islamophobic violence targeting Muslim and Jewish communities across the world.
WSTW calls for an immediate and permanent ceasefire, release of all hostages on both sides, and an end to the occupation. But also a free Palestine, and peace for both Palestinian and Israeli civilians.
Sources
Historical facts:
Current numbers:
Homonationalism and Pinkwashing:
Homonationalism’s Viral Travels
Homonationalism and Voting for the Populist Radical Right
Queer solidarity with Palestine