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At a demonstration today in Istanbul |
Gaza Freedom Flotilla Attacked – Unarmed Peace Activists Killed
The savage Israeli attack on unarmed peace activists has already brought protests and condemnation in Turkey and across the globe. The world condemns these murders, and knows that the number one supporter, financially and politically, of Israel, is the United States.
Emergency Response Protests have been called for many U.S. cities, including Boston, Boulder, Cleveland, St. Louis, Houston, as well as numerous cities throughout the world. Find a complete (and growing) list on our calendar, and at the web site of Gaza Freedom March. World Can’t Wait calls on you to join protests wherever you are!
We condemn the Israeli military attack on the Gaza Freedom Flotilla in international waters last evening. Al Jazeera’s mostly recent report says 19 international solidarity activists were killed, and dozens injured on 6 ships attempting to deliver humanitarian aid, and to break the Israeli blockade of Gaza. There were 700 activists in the six ship flotilla, with many journalists and Arab and European members of parliaments on board. All were unarmed, part of a non-violent effort to awaken world public opinion to the desperate state of the people of Gaza.
Find reports at witnessGaza.com. Adam Shapiro of the Free Gaza Movement, speaking at 3:30 am EST, told Democracy Now from New York what he had learned. The FGM supporters reported live to Adam during the attack that the IDF forces came about the ship firing. CNN and the Israeli government are reporting that activists came after the heavily armed IDF commandos with "axes."
Our friend, and advisor to War Criminals Watch, Ann Wright, had been on the largest ship attacked, but moved to another ship in the flotilla before 1,000 Israeli commandos boarded the ships, and began shooting, according to news sources. The AP reports that 9 were killed in the IDF’s "botched raid" and that Israel had taken all 700 activists — presumbly including the injured — into custody, jailing some and preparing to deport others from Beersheba.
initial list of protest activities
New York – TUESDAY June 1 5:00 pm
Israeli MIssion to UN @ 42nd & 2nd Avenue
NYC
TUESDAY June 1 7:00 pm
Revolution Books presents journalist/author Chris Hedges, Revolution reporter Alan Goodman, and others responding to the attack.
146 West 26th Street NYC
212 691 3345
Chicago TUESDAY, June 1, at 4:30 p.m.
Israeli Consulate at 111 E. Wacker Drive, Chicago
(just east of Michigan Avenue and Wacker Drive)
Philadelphia TUESDAY, June 1, 2010 at 4pm
Israeli Consulate, 19th & JFK, Philadelphia 19103
Austin TUESDAY June 1 at 8pm
Candle light vigil at the capitol building, Austin
Richmond TUESDAY June 1 at 5pm
Richmond, VA City Hall
TODAY June 1 at 4:30 PM
The Israeli Consulate, 456 Montgomery Street
(between California & Sacramento)
San Francisco
TUESDAY June 1 at 12pm
Protest at the White House
Find more protests at GazaFreedomMarch.org
Victor: It\\\’s amazing how people like you can refer to Jews, or anybody who disagrees with you, as \\\”Zionist Pigs\\\” and \\\”scum\\\” or \\\”pieces of crap\\\” with total impunity from websites like this one. Jews and others don\\\’t make such disparaging comments about Palestinians or Muslims. But feel free to spew your vile dribble. Some day, the decent Palestinians who you falsely try to represent will have had enough of the murderous path people like you attempt to steer them down.
Time again for you guy to celebrate the Israeli attack on the USS Liberty and all the US servicemen that were killed.
Also, one of the survivors of the Liberty was on one of the boats brutally hijacked by Israeli terrorists.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Y3XUo60qpE
Don\’t hold your breath for worldcanwait to condemn islamic terrorism. As you pointed out in the case of Pakistan, Islamic terrorists even murder Muslims who disagree with them.
That\’s how Hamas gained power in Gaza. By the time the elections rolled around, all serious opposition had already been eliminated…permanently.
But I\’m sure worldcanwait missed that slaughter, too.
A Catholic bishop gets murdered in Turkey and within seconds, the Turkish authorities conclude it was simply the work of a crazy man unaffected by the theocratic political system the Turkish people are now drowning in. And under the rug it goes.
another Bishop in Turkey was murdered. but as long as a muslim is the killer, the worldcantwait would not dare condemn
On Friday the Punjabi Taliban bombed several mosques in Pakistan. Yesterday, terrorists in Afghanistan attacked a peace council. I take it that the Worldcan’twait approves of these acts, since I heard no condemnation.
And, by the way, the video clearly shows attacks on Isrealis before tye even touched the deck of the ship. This ship was trying to start a fight!
How would you know anything at all about common decency? You should sign up for some workshops here at WCW so you and common decency can be formally introduced.
Re: comments # 16 & 19…
I’m always amazed when someone can write the vilest, hate-filled bile, and in the very next sentence give a lecture on “common decency.”
Emergency Demonstration in Denver to
Protest Israeli Massacre of Gaza Freedom Flotilla
** forward this e-mail widely **
Wednesday., June 2, 5:30 to 7:30 pm
Colorado State Capitol
(Lincoln & Colfax)
For more info call 312.286.9971, 720.341.8169
The Colorado Palestine Community Network urges you to make every effort to join this important protest to denounce the Israeli military massacre of activists on the Gaza Freedom Flotilla. At least 9 international activists were killed by Israel, with dozens injured. The death toll may rise.
In an act of piracy and a blatant violation of international law, the Israeli government has committed a cold-blooded massacre on the high seas against a group of courageous individuals whose only crime was to extend a hand of solidarity to the besieged and blockaded people in Gaza.
The Gaza aid flotilla is made up of six ships carrying 700 people and bringing medical, construction and school supplies to besieged Palestinians in Gaza. It was attacked in international waters by 14 Israeli ships. Heavily armed Israeli commandos dropped onto the ships from helicopters and opened fire on the activists.
Gaza has been blockaded by Israel since 2007. The blockade is a brutal form of collective punishment aimed at strangling the Palestinian people.
Come out to the protest to condemn this outrageous massacre and call for an immediate end of the siege of Gaza.
We are calling for a complete lifting of the Gaza Siege and upon the Obama administration to join the world body in condemning Israel’s deadly attack in international waters on a convoy of unarmed international peace activists bringing humanitarian aid to Gaza. It is imperative that the three-year-old siege on Gaza be lifted immediately, and that all the activists are released.
We demand that Israel be held accountable for its violations of international law.
No, sorry sweetie, I’m already in a committed relationship with a smaller hole that does not happen to be an EPA Superfund cleanup site: The Grand Canyon!
[quote name=”Victor”]If I did send you something it would be something you can sit on and rotate.[/quote]
My-my Victor. Did you just propose to me?
Hey Steven
It sounds like you would not know hypocrisy if you sat on it, day after day. Week after week. Month after month. Where were you “defender of peace” when these things were happening that you care about so passionately? Probably doing absolutely nothing because you are nothing more than a Zionist pig trying desperately to avert attention from something that is happening now and is affecting millions of people. Something that is really relevant to alleviating the suffering of thousands of innocent people. You’re a real piece of crap.
[quote name=”Victor”]Think nothing of it wbramh!
I’m sure you have some very interesting insight into why the Israelis insist on mistreating the Palestinians in the way they do.
You need to reread my post again you piece of _______! What I know is common sense and I know common decency when I see it. If I did send you something it would be something you can sit on and rotate. Thats the problem with you Zionists, you have no idea of what insane is because you live it every single day. I’m not the one saying God gave me real estate for all eternity. If God does send a messiah to the Hebrews, it will definitely be to take them to the Land of Milk and honey, which is NOT Palestine.[/quote]
Your hatemongering and offensive langauge only further proves my point. If you really believe Islamic fundementalists such as Hamas and Al Qeida can do no wrong, then you should join them. At least then we’ll all know where you stand
The Worldcan’twait has been regretably hijacked by the cause of Islamic extremists.
Where were all the “defenders” of peace when Syria engineered the assasination of the Lebanese Prime Minister, when the Iranian government murders its own citizens, when Hamas destroys UN Camps in the Gaza because they don’t force fundemantalist views of the children, or when Shittes and Sunis bomb each other’s Mosques.
the hypocrisy of this appeal undermines the credibility of this orgnaization.
Think nothing of it wbramh!
I’m sure you have some very interesting insight into why the Israelis insist on mistreating the Palestinians in the way they do.
You need to reread my post again you piece of _______! What I know is common sense and I know common decency when I see it. If I did send you something it would be something you can sit on and rotate. Thats the problem with you Zionists, you have no idea of what insane is because you live it every single day. I’m not the one saying God gave me real estate for all eternity. If God does send a messiah to the Hebrews, it will definitely be to take them to the Land of Milk and honey, which is NOT Palestine.
Hi again, Victor,
Sorry about bothering you for links on that “Israelis are criminally insane” thing you mentioned. I reread your post and realized you got that information directly from God.
That’s good enough for me, for He would not lie.
You must be a special human being if He would choose you to carry that message to the masses below.
If possible, could you have him answer the other questions I posted. I know He’s busy and I’d understand if that is asking too much of Him.
To # 13 Victor:
I was responding to the writer of the story and not to you. I don’t know who you are or what you know. That’s why I asked the writer since he apparently knows something. If you know something and can answer my questions, that would be terrific. Happy for the assistance.
I didn’t know that Israel was founded by Mobsters and the criminally insane.
Wow! that’s not good.
If you get a chance, could you send me some links?
I had heard that Israelis actually eat the hearts of Palestinians at Tel Aviv restaurants. Naturally, I thought that must be crazy talk, but if Israelis are criminally insane I suppose anything is possible.
This is valuable information for all of us to have at hand and in the absence of criticism, I’m guessing you have 100% agreement on this site.
Keep up the good work.
>Just out of curiosity, if the peace activists were not armed, and I believe you, how did the Israeli soldiers get beaten and shot? < Oh, you believe me? How can you believe me if I was not there? Boarding a ship on the high seas is an act of piracy. Not only that, its an act of insanity.
Insanity for those on the ships to think they can go up against automatic weapons with knives and clubs. Who is really insane here? Cause someone definitely is! If a swat team raided my house, would I fight back with a steak knife?
Why is there a need to take these supplies to this wonderful lil democracy to the victims of this wonderful lil democracy’s concentration camp?
The whole thing boils down to the reason the USA supports Israel:
God gave the land of Israel to some Russian “Jewish” Mobsters.
God told me, even though I don’t believe in direct dialogue with any deity, through my innate sense of justice, fair play and survival of the species, that Israel is a corrupt, criminal and insane organization. They dont care if they trigger WW3.
Then there are the Christian Zionists that want the whole shithouse to go up in flames and are doing everything they can to make it happen.
Hmmm, smells like insanity to me!
Sorry, but another question has come up that I’m probably going to need to answer intelligently. We know that there were a lot of activists running around and yelling on deck before and during the israeli boarding. Loud military helicopters were flying just a few feet overhead and it has been reported that the israelis touched the deck with their guns blazing. One of the activists claimed the Israelis “opened fire on sleeping people.” A friend asked me how there could be sleeping people on deck with all the noise and confusion and why the Israelis would pick the sleeping people as targets and not the ones who who be potentially immediate threats. I suppose those are also good questions to be prepared to answer.
Maybe that “sleeping people” story was an erroneous early report? Again, can anybody help me out?
Just out of curiosity, if the peace activists were not armed, and I believe you, how did the Israeli soldiers get beaten and shot? Could they have beaten and shot themselves before dropping to the ship? I suppose it’s possible – just wanted to know the answer to help make the argument against them stronger.
Also, I saw a video that clearly shows Israeli soldiers being beaten immediately after landing on the ship. Could this have been a staged clubbing on another ship taped before hand? Also possible, I guess, but it looked like there were thugs on board and at the ready to start a violent confrontation with the Israelis -and that would be a terrible blow to the decent folks on the flotilla. If anybody has any information I’d appreciate the help so I can strengthen my argument.
The # One question I would like to hear asked and answered:
What would Israeli’s do if Turkey stopped and boarded an Israeli Flotilla of
ships including passenger liners in International Waters…?
@Lips
BTW, what mainstream media are you watching that is “spewing” the Israeli side? Everything I’ve seen (including AP and BBC)is blaming Israel.
@Lips
Actually they were armed with paintball guns. They used backup pistols to defend themselves against attacks. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYjkLUcbJWo&feature=player_embedded
The ships were not in international waters. They had crossed the blockade line and were given warnings ahead of time. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6jDIQr59Sk&feature=player_embedded
Also, is this the video you refer to of “slingshots and marbles”? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JvS9PXZ3RWM&feature=player_embedded
Maybe you stopped watching before it got to the knives, heavy metal pipes and massive wrenches and what appears to be a molotov cocktail. All of which were shown in the first video being used immediately against the soldiers who boarded.
Finally, 5 out of 6 of the ships allowed themselves to be peacefully boarded and escorted to Ashdod port so that their aid could be properly brought to Gaza through the correct diplomatic channels, NOT through the blockade.
@Steven Getzoff – the only propaganda being spewed is by the Israelis – only their side has been told in MSM. Haven’t you noticed?
http://www.alternet.org/story/147052/3_facts_you_need_to_know_about_the_israeli_attack_on_peace_activists_on_the_gaza_flotilla
Israel illegally attacked a peaceful ship in international waters – an act of piracy, and a war crime. The Israelis had automatic weapons, and according to people on the boat, who are not Hamas, they started shooting as soon as they hit the deck, at sleeping people. If the people on the boat did fight back, it was in self defense. Israel showed a video of alleged ‘weapons’ the activists had – slingshots and marbles.
Israel has ‘determined’ that the dead are the ones who attacked them. They claim to have found a gun with an empty magazine on one of the activists, and that makes him guilty. What if he picked up the gun after all the ammo was spent? The only side that has been told is by the Israelis, and they have been shown to have lied from the get-go. They have kidnapped and detained all the passengers and muzzled them and the media. These boats were not aiding Hamas, they were aiding the people of Gaza, whose homes, businesses, schools, factories, etc. have been destroyed.
Let’s hear you defend Israel’s massacre of the USS Liberty.
So where is your journalistic integrity? By the sixth word of this article you’ve already avoided the truth. Does this look unarmed to you? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYjkLUcbJWo&feature=player_embedded
After several minutes of these beatings, the Israeli forces were finally given the order that they could defend themselves with their backup pistols.
as a member of worldcan’t wait, I am appalled at how easily your organization has fallen prey to the propaganda spewn by Hamas and its sympathizers. While the Israeli boarding of these ships was ill advised, poorly planned and based on flawed intelligence, the worst “crime” by these forces was in assuming that those on board were peaceful. As it turns out nothing can be further from the truth.
I am continually sickened by the way well meaning liberal or anti war organizations embrace the cause of Arab extremists, as though anyone opposing US invasions on Islamic countries must also accept that each of these countries and their regimes are totally benign and incapable of horrendous and violent action. Where was your organization when Hamas was attacking the PLO and killing innocent Palestinians in ways far more premeditated that the current incident? Hamas is a known terrorist organization that is sworn to destroy the State of Israel by violent means, a cause you ironically seem to embrace.
CLEVELAND: Free Gaza Coalition has called for more protest at the Senator’s offices Tuesday, 6/1, 4 p.m. at Sen. Sherrod Brown office in Cleveland (behind the Galleria). At 4:45 we will march to Senator Voinovich office at the Federal Blkdg, Lakeside and East 9th St.
UC Santa Barbara will hold an emergency protest to condemn this outrageous attack at noon in the Arbor on Tuesday (today)
Wednesday June 2 at 6pm
Greensboro NC
Wendover Ave near Meadowood St (across from Staples)
Sponsored by Islamic Center of the Triad and World Can’t Wait – Greensboro
Join Movement to End Israeli Apartheid-Georgia (MEIA-G) at the Israeli Consulate (1100 Spring Street NW, Atlanta, GA) Tuesday, June 1 from 4 pm to 6 pm to condemn the massacre of humanitarian workers on the Flotilla and to stand in solidarity with the courageous people of Gaza.
Please bring Palestinian flags, posters and banners supporting the Gaza Freedom Flotilla and pass this on!
For more information please contact 404.507.6502 or contact@meiag.org.