June 11, 2010
MEDIA ALERT: CULTURES OF RESISTANCE HAS JUST RELEASED ONE HOUR OF FOOTAGE FROM THE MAVI MARMARA, WHICH IS POSTED BELOW. CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE PRESS RELEASE.
On the night of Sunday, May 30, showing a terrifying disregard for human life, Israeli naval forces surrounded and boarded ships sailing to bring humanitarian aid to the blockaded Gaza Strip. On the largest ship, the Mavi Marmara, Israeli commandos opened fire on civilian passengers, killing at least 9 passengers and wounding dozens more. Others are still missing. The final death toll is yet to be determined. Cultures of Resistance director Iara Lee was aboard the besieged ship and has since returned home safely.
Despite the Israeli government’s thorough efforts to confiscate all footage taken during the attack, Iara Lee was able to retain some of her video recordings. Below is the unedited footage from the moments leading up to and during the Israeli commandos’ assault on the Mavi Marmara. You can also download this footage by clicking here.
Below is a 15-minute version of the footage that has been edited from the video above and it can also be viewed on our Vimeo.com page.
Israeli Attack on the Mavi Marmara, May 31st 2010 // 15 min. from Cultures of Resistance on Vimeo.
CALL YOUR ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES, JOIN IN PROTESTS, AND DEMAND A FULL, IMPARTIAL, AND INTERNATIONAL INVESTIGATION!
Shortly after returning home, Cultures of Resistance director Iara Lee wrote an Op-Ed about the Gaza Freedom Flotilla that was published in the San Francisco Chronicle. Click here to read the article.
We are regularly updating the Cultures of Resistance page on Facebook with news updates and with action steps that you can take. Go to http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/pages/Cultures-of-Resistance/236643721652
Background: The Crisis in Gaza Continues
Since Israel’s military campaign of collective punishment against the Palestinian people in Gaza, waged in blatant violation of international law in late 2008 and early 2009, a devastating blockade of the area has remained in place. As a direct result, Gaza’s economy and infrastructure lie in ruins, with the vast majority of Palestinians there living on less than $1 a day.
Recently, Cultures of Resistance Director Iara Lee joined the Free Gaza Movement’s fleet of ships sailing to break the siege of Gaza. This flotilla, with 800 other activists from around the world aboard, is also carrying 10,000 tons of reconstruction and medical supplies in the hopes that basic humanitarian supplies can reach the people of Gaza. As Lee wrote in an Op-Ed that appeared in The Hill:
Normally, such a goodwill mission would seem entirely innocuous. But in this case the crisis afflicting Palestinian civilians has been created by foreign policy: It is a product of Israel’s decision to besiege Gaza in defiance of international law and of United States support for this blockade.
The Free Gaza Movement has attempted similar missions before—with the Israeli military halting the last three, including one that was rammed and nearly sunk—but none as large as this. The Israeli government has already vowed to stop the fleet from reaching Gaza, while activists remain resolute in the face of threats of force. Click here for updates on the flotilla’s progress.
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