On January 25th, 2009, Seattle Jews and Palestinians performed a "die-in" to protest Israel's ongoing siege of Gaza.
WHERE: Pike Place Market, Downtown Seattle, 1st Ave and Pike St, in
front of the pig
WHEN: Sunday, Jan 25, 3 PM
WHAT: Over 30 Palestinians, Arabs and Jews gathered on Sunday to mourn
the loss of lives in Gaza, Palestine and Israel. They held a symbolic
"Die-In", dying and lying dead throughout Seattle's historic Pike Place
Market, to call for an end to the Israeli Government's siege of Gaza.
Seattle Jews And Arabs Say
Peace and Justice are the Way
Civilians Shouldn't Have to Pay
End the Gaza Siege Today
WHY: Though a ceasefire has been declared, the longstanding blockade and
siege of Gaza continues. Because of Israel's tight control over Gaza's
borders, airspace and seaports, ordinary Gazans continue to suffer.
Seattle-area Jews and Palestinians must work together to help end this
siege, which could not continue without the support of US tax dollars.
HOW: Students for Justice in Palestine, a Palestinian-led University of
Washington student group, and the Seattle chapter of the national peace
group Jewish Voice for Peace co-organized the symbolic "die-in". They
led a coalition of Arab and Jewish demonstrators to the heart of
Seattle's vibrant independent business district on Sunday afternoon.
Jews and Arabs silently lay down together in the streets to mourn the
loss of life in Gaza, including the deaths of over 400 children. The
demonstrators wore all black and held signs saying "Ceasefire plus Siege
does not equal Peace" and "People are still dying", while other
participants passed out fliers explaining the event.
Dr. Wendy Somerson, a founding member of the Seattle chapter of Jewish
Voice for Peace and former national JVP board member, explained why she
continues to protest despite the ceasefire agreement. She said,
"Because Israel controls the borders of Gaza and refuses to let in
humanitarian aid, Gazans are suffering as they simply try to live their
lives. This is known as collective punishment, and it is illegal under
international law."
Students for Justice in Palestine member, Diana Ovalle, expressed her
passion for this type of action: "We are standing up for justice, even
though it may not be the popular thing to do. While our new president
stands silent in the face of the massacres, thousands of Americans who
helped elect him do not. Just like people stood against apartheid in
South Africa before it was popular, we are standing against apartheid in
Palestine. We are standing against U.S.-funded massacres. We are dying
with the hundreds of children who were murdered, and we are dying with
the thousands of civilians who will die of cancer years from now due to
the usage of white phosphorus. We are dying, so that the children of
Gaza can live."
MORE:
Sixty years ago, militias destroyed over 500 Palestinian villages and
made more than 800,000 Palestinian people refugees in order to create a
Jewish state in a land where the majority was not Jewish.
Today the Palestinian Nakba ("catastrophe" in Arabic) continues. In
order to maintain Israel's Jewish majority, the Israeli government has
maintained campaigns of displacement, violence, and occupation. Inside
of the 1948 borders of Israel, Palestinian Israeli citizens are denied
legal rights held by Israeli Jews. Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank,
and East Jerusalem are denied access to land, water, health care, and
other basic resources. Palestinians in the occupied territories
experience international isolation, economic devastation aided by the
erection of a 730-kilometer wall, continued control of their movement,
as well as violent invasions, including the current horrific siege of Gaza.
Today there are more than 6 million Palestinian refugees around the
world, all of whom are denied their internationally recognized Right of
Return to their homes and land.
###
Jewish Voice for Peace, Seattle Chapter
Students for Justice in Palestine
Seattle, WA
Students for Justice in Palestine-UW: sjpal@u.washington.edu
http://students.washington.edu/sjpal/
Jewish Voice for Peace, Seattle: seattle@jvp.org
www.jvp.org
Newspaper Coverage:
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/397388_peace25.html
https://we.riseup.net/assets/5277/jvp%20die-in%20article.jpg
Video by Alex Becker
Loading...
2:30
gaza seigeby mohamedku851 views
If only this helped.....
WeJust2Raw 2 years ago
I will stand and be counted as a supporter!
Cyberia3716 3 years ago
Besides this being a protest, this is a beautiful & wonderful depiction of art!!
SuchAPrettyMess 3 years ago
Brilliant! Absolutely amazing. Great work.
RedStarHammers 3 years ago
holy, wow!!
DaLuCuS 3 years ago
thats pretty cool
zzakiyaa 3 years ago
you all are amazing!
mrwissard 3 years ago 2
WOW
WONDERFUL
DRAMATIC
Keep it up :)
Mark E-W
mideastfocus 3 years ago
Good job by Seattle's young voices for justice and peace in the Middle East!
Keep it up!
nilodni 3 years ago