Dear Editor,
RE: Cinema Politica 'kicked out' of council chambers, Oct. 18, Maple Ridge News.
Cinema Politica screened a powerful and timely documentary about Palestinians on Oct. 24 in the CEED Centre.
The film, "Where Olive Trees Weep," brought viewers into the lives of Palestinians dealing with daily oppression, even before the latest Israeli round of ethnic cleansing and genocide.
The speakers who led the discussion afterwards were engaging and well-qualified. One had grown up in occupied West Bank, and talked about her direct experiences.
The other speaker has been doing research regarding Israel's ongoing human rights offences against Palestinians, including making his own fact-finding journeys to Palestine.
People who attended the event found it informative, and profoundly engaging.
The only downside was that the CEED Centre has limited capacity, and was unable to accommodate all of the overflow crowd which showed up.
This again raises the question… when will the current mayor and council realize that community groups, like Cinema Politica, provide a valuable educational and cultural service, and work together with them, rather than shutting them out.
The chamber was designed for the benefit of our community as a multi-purpose, pubic venue, and should be returned to its intended use.
Steve Ranta, Maple Ridge
