We are shocked that the Open Source Festival in Düsseldorf has disinvited the black American rapper Talib Kweli, leading to the cancellation of his Germany tour, after he refused to denounce the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement for Palestinian rights. Attempts in Germany to impose political conditions on artists who support Palestinian rights, particularly targeting people of colour and queer artists, comprise a shameful trend of censorship, anti-Palestinian repression, and attacks on freedom of conscience.

We hold diverse views on BDS, but we concur with 240 Jewish and Israeli scholars who recently wrote that “the three main goals of BDS – ending the occupation, full equality to the Arab citizens of Israel and the right of return of Palestinian refugees – adhere to international law”.

Dr Sara Roy of Harvard University, a leading Middle East scholar, recently addressed members of the German parliament: “I lost a large extended family to fascism and racism. By endorsing the motion that alleges that BDS is antisemitic – regardless of one’s position on BDS – you are criminalising the right to free speech and dissent and those who choose to exercise it, which is exactly how fascism takes root. You also trivialise and dishonour the real meaning of antisemitism.”

We firmly oppose all forms of racism and discrimination, including anti-blackness, antisemitism, Islamophobia, homophobia and sexism. We also agree with the 200 Palestinian civil society organisations who responded to the Bundestag’s declaration that equated BDS with bigotry: “Denying Palestinians the right to non-violently advocate for freedom, justice and equality is anti-Palestinian and puts the Bundestag at odds with international law, with universal democratic principles and even with the formal position of the European Union.”

Supporting a nonviolent struggle for freedom, justice and equality, for Palestinians or others, should never be conflated with bigotry. It’s a right. For many, it’s also a moral duty.

Khalid Abdalla Actor, filmmaker

Tunde Adebimpe Musician

Aviad Albert Musician, linguist

Tariq Ali Writer

Nir Alon Visual artist

Monifa Bandele Human rights activist

David Banner Musician, producer, actor, activist

Daphna Baram Comedian; director, Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions UK

Ben UFO DJ

The Black Madonna DJ, producer

Nicholas Blincoe Writer

Judith Butler Philosopher

David Calder Actor

Iggor Cavalera Musician

Julie Christie Actor

Caryl Churchill Playwright

Ciel DJ, producer

Scott Cohen Music industry executive

Ben Cook Director, LUX Artists’ Moving Image

Molly Crabapple Artist, writer

Patrisse Cullors Artist; co-founder, Black Lives Matter

Liam Cunningham Actor

Selma Dabbagh Writer

Dror Dayan Film-maker

Laurence Dreyfus Director, Phantasm Viol Consort

Michael Eric Dyson Author, minister, professor

Theo Ellis Musician

Eve Ensler Playwright, activist

Brian Eno Composer, producer

Jodie Evans Film producer

Gareth Evans Curator, producer

Anat Even Film-maker

Chiara Figone Archive Books/Kabinet/Journal

Saeed Taji Farouky Film-maker

Peter Gabriel Musician, founder, Womad festival

Tom Gilroy Actor, director

Jodie Ginsberg CEO, Index on Censorship

Ariel Gold Human rights activist

Ohal Grietzer Composer

LisaGay Hamilton Actor

Marc Lamont Hill Author, activist

HowNosm Street artists

Chace Infinite Artist, entrepreneur

Oli Isaacs Artist manager

Aki Kaurismäki Film director, screenwriter

Brigid Keenan Writer

Reem Kelani Singer, musicologist

Robin Kelly Historian, academic

AL Kennedy Writer

Peter Kennard Artist

Steve Kettley Musician, composer

Naomi Klein Writer

Paul Laverty Screenwriter

Mason Leaver-Yap Associate curator, KW Institute for Contemporary Art

Mike Leigh Writer, director

Laima Leyton Musician

Ken Loach Director

Liz Lochhead Poet, playwright

Sabrina Mahfouz Writer

Jens Maier-Rothe Curator, film producer

Miriam Margolyes Actor

Kika Markham Actor, writer

Yann Martel Writer

Francesca Martinez Comedian

Ahmed Masoud Writer, director

Pauline Melville Writer

Avi Mograbi Film-maker

Jessica Care Moore Poet, author, publisher

Thurston Moore Musician

Tom Morello Musician

Ali Shaheed Muhammad Rapper, producer, DJ

Laura Mulvey Film-maker, writer

Joff Oddie Musician

Jonathan Ofir Conductor

Mutulu “M-1” Olugbala Musician, activist

David Oppenheim Artist, musician

Maxine Peake Actor

Cat Phillipps Artist

Danielle Alma Ravitzki Musician, visual artist

Boots Riley Director, musician, activist

Ben Ronen Visual artist

Rrose Musician

Mark Ruffalo Actor

Gavin Rayna Russom Composer

Michal Sapir Writer, musician

Sate Artist

James Schamus Screenwriter, producer, director

Stephen Sedley Human rights lawyer

Itamar Shapira Musician

Shain Shapiro Music industry executive

Eyal Sivan Film-maker

Gillian Slovo Writer

Christopher Somes-Charlton Artist manager

Ahdaf Soueif Writer

Lia Tarachansky Journalist, film-maker

Eyal Vexler Cultural producer, curator

Violet Electronic musician

Roger Waters Musician

Jonathan Watkins Director, Ikon Gallery

Eyal Weizman Director, Forensic Architecture

Penny Woolcock Screenwriter, filmmaker

Robert Wyatt Musician

Young Fathers Band