Feature Archives

UPDATE: The trial has been delayed. More details will be forthcoming.

On November 17th, a Jerusalem civil court will convene regarding the case of Tristan Anderson, an international solidarity activist from Oakland, California, wounded in March 2009 when he was shot in the head by Israeli border police in Ni'ilin, Palestine. He survived the attack on his life, but has been left paralyzed on one side of his body and with significant damage to his brain. To date, no one has been charged with any crime whatsoever related to the shooting of Tristan Anderson. Also on November 17th, supporters are invited to an event in Berkeley in solidarity with the trial featuring Tristan, an update from court from Gabby, and a discussion as well as music.

A "Welcome to Palestine" campaign scheduled for July 8th through July 16th has begun at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv. It is intended to draw attention to the Israeli blockade on the West Bank. As part of the campaign, hundreds plan to arrive in Tel Aviv and openly declare their intentions to travel to the West Bank to support peaceful Palestinian efforts for human rights. Already, dozens of activists and journalists have been denied entry to Israel after having been blacklisted or have been deported once they truthfully state their intentions.

UPDATE July 19th: The MV Juliano was detained in Crete by Greek authorities who refuse to let the boat sail. The last remaining Flotilla II boat, the French boat Dignite/Al Karama, was stopped by the Israeli navy about 40 miles off of the coast of Gaza.

The 2011 Stay Human Freedom Flotilla has faced repeated threats and admonishments from the U.S. and Israeli governments, the pullout of the Turkish contingent, meddling from Zionist law firms, sabotage to the propellers of the Greek and Irish boats by underwater divers, and an order from the Greek government banning the flotilla from embarking on the journey to Gaza from Greece. At this point, it remains uncertain how many boats will be able to set sail for Gaza.

June 27th, 2:30pm PST: In spite of Israel's threats of violence (snipers, attack dogs, sound bombs) against unarmed people on unarmed ships, threats from the US government of legal action against American participants, and the Obama administration's clear permission granted to Israel to attack the boats, including the American-flagged "Audacity of Hope", the FLOTILLA HAS SET SAIL! The French ship Dignity just left Corsica with a French MEP on board. The French Government didn't block the boat. The French boat sails to meet the other 9 boats, two cargo ships and 7 passenger boats, including the Audacity of Hope, in the Mediterranean, and on to Gaza with 3000 tons of aid for that destroyed region.

On the morning of June 16th, the front pages of Spanish newspapers carried stories of demonstrators for democracy performing acts of violence. Amateur footage exposed that police infiltration was to blame, but YouTube blacked out some of the videos because they allegedly violated the privacy of the infiltrators. The incident happened just days before an announced nationwide protest against economical austerity measures to be imposed by the government.

Exarchia is known throughout Athens as the center of social struggles. This densely packed neighborhood has a reputation as being anti-establishment and is home to students, anarchists, artists, and leftists of all stripes. A month of nationwide rioting was sparked in December 2008 when a 15 year-old local high school student and anarchist was shot and killed by police near Exarchia Square. Most Athenians hate the police, and when this young boy was murdered the whole country exploded. On the corner where Alexis was shot, his mother has mounted a memorial plaque which has his photo as well as an inscription in Greek.

May 15th marked 63 years since the Palestinian Nakba (catastrophe). In 1948, more than 750,000 Palestinians were permanently displaced, with more than 500 Palestinian villages depopulated and destroyed. In San Francisco, Lebanon, Egypt, Syria, and across the globe, Palestinians and solidarity activists commemorated the Nakba. In the West Bank and Gaza, thousands took to the streets to demand an end the occupation. Israeli forces responded with live gunfire killing at least 16 protesters and injuring hundreds.