Iyad Burnat talk: Palestine and Pints
Tuesday, June 23, 2026
10:00 PM - 1:00 AM
About This Event
Palestinian community leader Iyad Burnat, from the West Bank village of Bil’in, will share a rare firsthand account of life under military occupation and expanding Israeli settlements. Featured in the Oscar‑nominated documentary “5 Broken Cameras,” which chronicles his village’s struggle, Iyad will describe how his community has faced systematic land theft by surrounding settlements, the destruction of farmland and olive trees, and the daily violence and harassment inflicted by Israeli forces on his family and neighbors. He will place Bil’in’s story in the broader context of accelerating settlement expansion across the West Bank and the tightening regime of checkpoints, walls, and military law imposed on Palestinian communities. Iyad will also speak about the power and limits of nonviolent resistance, and the crucial role that international solidarity can play, including campaigns such as Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) and other concrete actions people in Oakland and beyond can take. Hosted at Oakland Beerworks, an inclusive venue that has long supported progressive causes, this event offers a timely opportunity to connect local struggles for justice with the ongoing Palestinian movement for freedom, dignity, and equality.
Speaker
Iyad Burnat
Iyad Burnat is a Palestinian community leader from the West Bank village of Bil’in, where he heads the Bil’in Popular Committee against the Wall and Settlements and the Friends of Freedom and Justice association. Since 2005, he has helped organize weekly nonviolent demonstrations against the Israeli separation barrier, land confiscation, and settlement expansion, bringing together local residents with Israeli and international activists. His leadership and the village’s creative resistance have gained global attention and contributed to legal victories that forced Israel to reroute sections of the barrier and return some of Bil’in’s farmland. Bil’in’s struggle features prominently in the Oscar‑nominated documentary “5 Broken Cameras,” filmed by his brother Emad Burnat. Through international speaking tours, media appearances, and his book “Bil’in and the Nonviolent Resistance,” Iyad shares firsthand testimony about life under occupation and the power of grassroots, nonviolent struggle. He has received recognition including the James Lawson Award for Achievement in the Practice of Nonviolent Conflict for his role in advancing nonviolent resistance in Palestine. In his talks, Iyad emphasizes that his movement is not against Jews as a people but against a system of military occupation, and he calls for broad global solidarity, including support for campaigns such as Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS), to pressure for freedom, justice, and equality for all.