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Roses thrown in the sea to commemorate Mavi Marmara martyrs

May 19, 2014 at 2:08 pm

The Popular Committee against the Siege organised a sea rally in the Gaza sea against the Israeli siege and in memory of those killed on the Turkish Mavi Marmara ship, with supporters from Miles of Smiles 27 convoy and Jordanian and Algerian delegates, along with two foreign supporters, as well as the Fishers Guild and the Sailors Union.

Participants threw roses in to the sea to commemorate the memory of the nine Turks that were killed by the Israeli army when they tried to reach Gaza in solidarity.

MP Jamal Al-Khodari, president of the Popular Committee against the Siege called for maximum Arab support of the Palestinian cause to end the occupation, the siege and the appointment of a new government, pointing out that the unity is being met by an a toughening of the siege by Israel.

Al-Khodari sent greetings to the detainees in the Israeli prisons who are waging an honourable and determined battle to end routine arrests and oppose the occupation with their hunger strikes.

He said that the Palestinian nation will unite until they end the occupation and the siege and form an independent state with its capital in Jerusalem. He referred to the targeting of the Palestinians in Jerusalem and the Judaization of the West Bank, the separation wall and the internal displacement and persecution.

Dr Essam Mustafa, heading the Miles of Smiles convoy, saluted the Palestinian’s steadfastness against the occupation and siege, reiterating that this year will witness the end of the siege as a new unified government is adopted.

Mustafa said, “the solidarity convoy is determined to reach Gaza to help build what the Israelis have destroyed, and the projects will not be stopped when the siege comes to an end – or even the occupation itself.”

The president of the Jordanian delegates, Kafah Al Omaira who participated in the Freedom Flotilla, said that the Israelis were indifferent to killing the civilians who came to support those under siege, pointing out that their message of solidarity reached them even if they had not.

The president of the Algerian delegates, Yahya Sabri, reaffirmed that the presence of a solidarity convoy in Gaza reinforces the fact that attempts to lift the siege will not stop.

Nizar Ayash, head of the Fishers Guild, portrayed the difficulties of the fishers and Israeli’s tightening of the fishing perimeter from 20 miles to 6 miles, where fishers are persecuted, arrested and have their equipment destroyed.

MEMO Photographer: Mohammed Asad