42-page Flotilla Report

July 1st, 2010 • Action, Awareness, Events, News
Tags: attack, flotilla, freegaza, gaza, IHH, priacy, report

from Freegaza,  a 42 page comprehensive Report and contains many full resolution photographs. Please download, read and distribute to all your lists and media contacts.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Istanbul, June 29, 2010)

On May 31, 2010, the six ships in the Freedom Flotilla were 75 miles away from the coast of Israel. We constantly reiterated that we were traveling in peace and carrying nothing but humanitarian and construction aid to the people of Gaza. At around 3:00 am, the battleships were still following us along with nearly 30 zodiacs that surrounded the flotilla in international waters.

At 4:10 am, messages from the ship, Define, stated, “Mavi Marmara, all of the boats and ships are approaching you.” Shortly after, when most of the participants were performing their morning prayers, pursuit boats carrying masked, armed soldiers came alongside the boats. At least 10 Israeli soldiers were in every boat. As they tried to get on board, they began shooting. Then we heard sounds that were similar to gas bombs. The third sound was the constant sound of machine gun fire. At the same time, military helicopters full of armed soldiers rappeled down, shooting as they descended.

This operation was hostile from the very beginning, directed towards killing and killing as many as possible. Israeli soldiers did not open fire on the ships as a warning. They opened fire to kill. The first two people on board were shot in the head, killing them instantly.

For a detailed report on who IHH is, why they joined the flotilla and what happened on that fateful morning, please download the report here… (pdf)

A Voyage of Life and Death

June 18th, 2010 • Awareness, Film & Documentary, News
Tags: flotilla, freedom, gaza

Shown at our monthly meeting…

In the early hours of Monday, May 31, the Israeli navy intercepted a flotilla of boats carrying thousands of tonnes of aid to Gaza. Nine passengers on the Mavi Marmara – the flotilla’s largest boat – were killed. This much we know.

In the aftermath of the event, accounts from both sides have diverged wildly. Israel claims that it acted in self-defence against a group of “violent extremists” linked to al-Qaeda and Hamas, intent on breaching the military blockade of Gaza.

The activists say they were frightened for their lives after being shot at from helicopters in the dark of night, their raised white flag ignored. They say Israel’s attack on their ship in international waters was unexpected and disproportionate.

Examining claim and counter claim, A Vourney of Life and Death includes an exclusive interview with the captain of the Mavi Marmara, those on board the ships and previously unseen footage.

Freedom Flotilla Updates…

May 29th, 2010 • Action, Awareness, Events, News
Tags: boat convoy, freedom flotilla, gaza

Get links to the latest updates at WitnessGaza.com & on our Twitter @ReadingPSC…

FLOTILLA IS UNDER THREAT BE READY TO CALL THE MEDIA & MPs

Please PHONE the BBC and SKY and ask them WHY there has been no coverage (or where is their coverage) of the huge story of the Freedom Flotilla which has 28 British on board and is being threatened by israel.

BBC 020 862 491 11 & SKY 020 770 530 00

Check our full media & government directory here…
- includes TV, MPs, Newspapers and all local BBC radio stations.

Flotilla Sets Sail, Israel’s PR Machine Takes Flight

May 28th, 2010 • Awareness, News
Tags: aid, aje, flotilla, gaza, PR, sherine tadros, ships

Gaza Event & Fundraiser – Sunday May 9th

May 2nd, 2010 • Events, News
Tags: cement, gaza, palestine telegraph, prc, sameh habeeb, skip a latte

Click above to download the flyer...

Special Guest Speaker: Sameh Habeeb

Sunday May 9th 3-5pm

Gaza–born photographer & journalist Sameh Habeeb will be talking about his first-hand experiences and those of families in Gaza. Sameh writes for the Palestine Telegraph.

Reading PSC is holding this eye-opening free social event in support of our “Skip A Latte. Rebuild A Home.” campaign.

Please join us on Sunday from 3pm at ROOM 3, RISC, 35-39 LONDON STREET, READING, RG1 4PS

Contact us if you have any questions or call us on 0844 774 3509

We look forward to seeing you!

Besieged Gaza Denied Water

April 28th, 2010 • Awareness, News
Tags: blockade, gaza, siege, water

Israel’s blockade of the Gaza Strip has brought immense sufferings to Palestinians living in the coastal territory. The siege even impedes the supply of water, the most basic need for human survival.

Now – 80 per cent of Gazans lack access to clean water.

The head of Gaza’s water authority says he has plans and the means to import water from other countries until self-dependency is reached, but Israel’s blockade is the only thing in the way.

Eyjafjallajokull & Gaza

April 26th, 2010 • Awareness, News
Tags: freedom, gaza, movement, volcano

from Sameh Habeeb at Pal Telegraph…

Volcanic ash: Gaza and freedom of movement

It’s been over a week since the environmental crisis began in Europe and other parts of the world such as the Middle East, North Africa Canada the US.  A cloud of volcanic ash drifting from Iceland’s Eyjafjallajokull volcano continues to keep airspace shut down; affecting millions of travelers around the world and causing a tremendous crisis in the aviation industry.

The ash drifting from the volcano is formed from dust, small atoms of glass, crushed rock, sand and other components. The plumes of dusty materials become stuck in the airspace and it makes aviation risky and dangerous since it could cause great damage by paralyzing aircraft engines thus risking people’s safety and lives.

Hundreds of thousands of flights have been cancelled; millions of passengers are trapped and stranded. People are deprived of the freedom of movement. A loss of billions of dollars has been documented due to flight cancelations and the resultant consequences of shortages delivered by air as well as the losses from air travel.

Read the rest of the article at Pal Telegraph…

Skip a Latte, Rebuild a Home.

April 25th, 2010 • 1 comment Action, Awareness, News
Tags: cement, convoy, cyprus, FGM, free gaza movement, gaza, IHH, sail, ship, turkey

Reading PSC is proud to launch our online fundraising effort for the next Convoy to Gaza – a flotilla of 10 ships sailing from Turkey, Cyprus, Ireland, Greece and Belgium.

Use our Interactive-Cement-Bag™ to donate as many 25kg bags of cement as you can to the people of Gaza – even one £3 bag will make a huge difference:

Visit our Convoy page for more information…

Gaza Family Reunion

April 20th, 2010 • News
Tags: family, gaza, restrictions, reunion

Around 1.5 million people in Gaza are under heavy restrictions by Israel to move in and out of the Palestinian territory.

The restrictions make it very difficult for many who have family abroad to get special permits to reunite with their loved ones.

But Mouazzaz Al Dabbeh is one of the very few in Gaza who, with the help of an international humanitarian organisation, was privelidged to reunite with her mother in Jordan for the first time in 11 years.

The Incredible Gaza Tunnels

April 12th, 2010 • Film & Documentary, News
Tags: gaza, tunnels

This BBC report highlights not only the absurd and futile nature of the blockade of Gaza but also shifts the focus from the reality for the majority.  Such as this report from Ma’an on the apparent easing of a three-year ban on the import of clothes and shoes:

• “After 3 years, permitted goods found ruined”