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PPRC joins Americans
United for Palestinian Human Rights to Mark the Anniversary
of Rachel Corrie�s Death, Emphasize Need for Investigation.
Event: Event: PPRC and Americans United for Palesinian Human Rights Mark
Anniversary of Rachel Corrie�s Death in Gaza, Emphasize Need for
Investigation.
Date: Friday, March 12th, 2004
Time: 5:00 p.m.
Place: Pioneer Courthouse Square
At this Friday�s 5:00 p.m. rally at Pioneer Courthouse Square, the
Portland
Peaceful Response Coalition will be joined by Americans United for
Palestinian Human Rights (AUPHR) to mark the one year anniversary of
the
death of American-born human rights activist, Rachel Corrie. "On the
first
anniversary of Rachel Corrie's death in a Palestinian refugee camp in
Rafah, Gaza, the rights she died for are now more under attack than
ever
before," said Nancy Hedric, volunteer with AUPHR who has recently
returned
from travel in the Occupied Territories and other regions of the Middle
East.
Rachel Corrie, a young college student from Evergreen College in
Olympia,
was killed by an Israeli military bulldozer while protesting home
demolitions. "The right to stable housing is nowhere safe in the
Occupied
Territories, but especially not in the Rafah refugee camp," said
Hedrick.
The UN Refugee relief agency (UNRWA) estimates that 600 Palestinians
have
been left homeless in recent months. In partnership, the PPRC and
AUPHR are
calling on the Oregon congressional delegation to support House
Concurrent
Resolution 111, calling for a full investigation into Rachel Corrie's
death.
From her recent travels, Hedric drew attention to the so-called
"separation
wall", calling it one of the most serious obstacles to peace in the
region.
"In the West Bank, the human rights situation of Palestinians is more
compromised than ever before with the construction of the apartheid
wall,"
said Hedrick. "Along with the checkpoints, the road blocks, the
curfews and
closures, the wall is strangling Palestinian communities, making it
harder
and harder for the people to reach their work, health care, school, and
even
food supplies." Hedrick said that Palestinian farmers have been cut
off
from their lands or water systems, and says that the building of the
wall
deep within the West Bank has amounted to outright land theft. The UN
and
NGO's report that it is difficult to get relief food supplies to
communities
isolated by the wall. "In spite of all this, some of our Congress
think
that they need a resolution to support the wall," said Hedrick. She
said
that AUPHR has joined with a national call for peace organizations to
oppose
this resolution (House Concurrent Resolution 371).
UNRWA has condemned the house demolitions and the building of the wall.
The
UN General Assembly has called on the International Court of Justice to
deliberate on the legality of the wall. PPRC and AUPHR call on
Congress to
stop financial support sent to the Israeli government until there is a
halt
to the building of the apartheid wall and an end to the occupation.
Reference:
http://www.palestine-pmc.com/details.asp?cat=1&id=1194
www.endtheoccupation.org
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