March 16th, the 8th Anniversary of Rachel Corrie's Stand in Gaza

posted on: Mar 16, 2011

Wednesday, March 16th, we mark the eighth anniversary of Rachel Corrie’s stand in Rafah to protect the home of a Gazan family and for the right of all Palestinians to be free of occupation.

Here in Rachel’s hometown, we will mark the day with an event emphasizing community-building, education, and action – all key to Rachel’s organizing here and beyond. We will continue a tradition of sharing a potluck meal, music, and spoken word and will hear from Cindy and Craig Corrie about the continuing civil trial in Israel in Rachel’s case. We will focus on our friends in Gaza who, according to the The UN Office of Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) continue to suffer death, injury, and severe restriction on imports, exports, and freedom of movement. We will continue our demands for an end to the collective punishment of the 1.7 million residents of Gaza and to the blockade and siege.

We will, also, remember and salute the courageous activists whose lives have been claimed this past year in nonviolent actions against Israeli policies or who have found themselves in prison because of their nonviolent resistance. They are American, Palestinian, Turkish, Israeli, and from elsewhere. In keeping with our memory of Rachel, we will this March 16th continue to listen to the voices of young people as they struggle worldwide to assert their visions for a democratic, free, and peaceful future; and we will call on U.S. officials to listen, too, and to be consistent in their demands that foreign governments and militaries be accountable for their actions and respect the right of people to assemble and protest.

We have heard from many across the U.S. and world who plan commemorative events. We thank all who join us in remembering Rachel and ask that you focus, too, on the others who have stood and been struck down, those imprisoned for their nonviolent resistance, those who carry on the work, and those in Gaza for whom Rachel took her stand. With events this week and beyond that keep compassion, humility, and love at their core, we will all honor Rachel’s commitment and spirit.

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Rachel Corrie Foundation for Peace & Justice