Vigil at Israeli embassy 4-6pm Thu 27 November

dublin | anti-war / imperialism | event notice Thursday November 27, 2003 03:22 by Caoimhe Butterly masasa73 at hotmail dot com

Vigil at israeil embassy, today Thursday 27 November 4-6pm, to protest at the shooting by Israeli army of ISM activist Tom Hurndall. Today is the 23rd birthday of Tom, who has been on a life-support machine since he was shot on 11 April.

On 11 April this year British citizen Tom Hurndall was shot by the Israeli army while trying to protect Palestinian children in the Gaza Strip and since then has been on a life-support system.

Tom, a 22-year old photographer, had travelled to Iraq and then to Palestine to bear witness to the effects of military oppression and occupation on the peoples of the Middle East.

As the people of Palestine have been abandoned by the international political community during the past three years, the only outside support they have had has been from the many civilians from Europe, North America and elsewhere who have travelled to the occupied territories to bear witness to the brutal effects of military occupation and to endeavour to protect the civilian population from this as far as is possible.

These international volunteers have carried out their necessary work in Palestine at great risk to themselves, as the shooting of Tom Hurndall shows. Tom was trying to remove children from the line of fire of an Israeli position when he was shot. At the time he was wearing clothing which clearly identified him as a member of the International Solidarity Movement. These attacks on foreign civilians betray a determination on the part of the occupation forces to ensure that their crimes against Palestinian civilians go unrecorded.

To commemorate Tom's short life and to stand against the attacks on international observers and against the occupation of the Palestinian territories, we ask you to join a candle-lit vigil outside the Israeli from 4.00 to 6.00 today Thursday 27 November, Tom's 23rd birthday, outside the Israeli embassy in Ballsbridge (opposite Jury's Hotel).