Guardiola calls for participation in Barcelona conference supporting Palestinian rights

Spanish coach Pep Guardiola called for participation in a European conference supporting Palestinian rights, to be held in Barcelona from November 18 to 20, saying solidarity must translate into concrete steps.

Spanish coach Pep Guardiola, the former manager of Manchester City, called for participation in a European conference supporting Palestinian rights, to be held in Barcelona from November 18 to 20 as the European regional meeting of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement.

In a video message published Friday, Guardiola recalled the ideas of the late British writer John Berger, noting that Berger addressed the Palestinian struggle in the context of resistance to injustice. He said the movement was launched in 2005, inspired by the struggle against South Africa’s apartheid system, and uses boycotts, divestment and sanctions as peaceful pressure tools to support Palestinian rights.

Guardiola on the touchline during a Manchester City match in Paris

Guardiola said the movement’s stated goals include ending the occupation, achieving equality, guaranteeing Palestinian refugees’ right of return and respecting international law. He added that simply watching events was no longer enough: “Genocide does not stop on its own, and peace does not happen on its own.”

The conference is expected to bring together activists, academics, artists, legal experts and journalists to discuss strengthening international solidarity and developing strategies to support Palestinian rights.