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Today supporters of BDS South Africa including members of the Freedom of Expression Institute (FXI), the Right2Know Campaign, Media Review Network (MRN), South African Students Congress (SASCO), Congress of South African Students (COSATU), ANC Youth League, Congress of South African Students, Young Communist League, Zimbabwe Communist League various other organizations held a successful "Freedom of Expression" and solidarity picket outside the Johannesburg South Gauteng High Court. The freedom of expression picket was in support of BDS South Africa in its court matter with Continental Outdoor Media.
 
Later on in the day a trailer with a large over five meter high banner was parked outside of the court house also in support of BDS South Africa. The banner had a image of a bird perched on barb wire with the well-known Harry Belafonte words: "You can cage the singer but not the song". Click here for a photo.
 
In 2012 Continental Outdoor Media, after coming under pressure from the Israeli lobby (see below press release for more information or click here), removed several Palestine solidarity billboards put up in Gauteng by BDS South Africa and the Palestine Solidarity Alliance (PSA). The Palestine solidarity billboards graphically explained the Israeli Occupation of Palestine. In particular, the billboards which were removed, in a series of maps, depicted a shrinking Palestinian territory by an increasing Israeli Occupation over the years. Under the maps, "Palestinian Loss of Land - 1946 to 2010" was printed in large letters.
 
BDS South Africa campaigner, Mthunzi Mbuli, said after today's picket: “We as BDS South Africa thank everyone who came out to the freedom of expression picket today and supported BDS South Africa and the Palestine Solidarity Alliance. This court matter is important because of its consequences for freedom of expression and we are hope that Continental Outdoor Media realizes that it did the wrong thing by removing our billboards and succumbing to pressures of the Israeli lobby. This court matter is also important because it sends a clear message to the Israeli lobby that, firstly, we will not be silenced by their attempts to censor members of the Palestine solidarity movement. But, secondly, it is also important because it sends a clear message to the Israeli lobby including organizations like the SA Jewish Board of Deputies and the SA Zionist Federation that we peace and justice loving peoples will fight for the hard won freedom that our parents laid their lives down for, including the freedom of expression. We do not take the attempts by the Israeli lobby to censor free speech lightly."
 
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Inside the Johannesburg South Gauteng High Court a special full day allocation request for the matter between BDS South Africa & Other vs Continental Media & Other was made. The request for a full day allocation was made in part due to the complexity of the issue. The request is currently being considered by the Judge President of the High Court and the matter is expected to be heard later this week.
 
BDS South Africa is represented pro bono by the Legal Resources Centre (LRC), one of South Africa's largest and most prominent pub–lic inter–est and human rights law clinics.