[antiwar-van] IOF disrupts the memorial for ISM activist they killed

[Macdonald Stainsby]

For immediate release
March 18, 2003
Rafah, Occupied Palestine

IOF disrupts the memorial for ISM activist they killed

In an act of unthinkable desecration, the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF)
sent the same bulldozer that killed Rachel Corrie to torment her mourners,
report ISM-Vancouver activists Gordon Murray and Carel Moiseiwitsch.

RAFAH, March 18- The Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) today used tanks and
heavy equipment to disrupt a memorial being held for slain ISM activist
Rachel Corrie, who was killed by an IOF armoured bulldozer two days ago in
the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah.

At 3pm this afternoon, Rachel's friends, fellow activists and Dr. Samir
Masri-- whose house she was protecting when she was murdered -- gathered at
the site in Rafah where the bulldozer had buried and crushed her. "Dr. Samir
created a small shrine from palm fronds in front of his house," said
ISM-Vancouver's Carel Moiseiwitsch. "Then other people began putting flowers
and pictures at the site."

Before the short memorial could be completed, an IOF tank arrived and
charged toward the mourners. The IOF command had been told in advance that
the memorial event would be taking place in the IOF's unilaterally-declared,
illegal "security zone" where Rachel had been killed.

A group of international volunteers and media confronted the tank and told
the tank crew to leave so the memorial could be completed. The tank withdrew
a short distance then attempted to drive around the internationals and
charge at the Palestinians gathered at the memorial site.

A large group of internationals, Palestinians and media together forced the
tank to retreat and began laying and planting flowers next to the razor wire
fence on the other side of the "security" zone. "We could see that this
wasteland created by the bulldozers was very recently a vegetable field,"
reports Moiseiwitsch, "because there were dug-up baby turnips strewn across
the ground."

The bulldozer charged again, aiming to crush the flowers that had just been
laid near the fence. Two ISM activists confronted the tank and it stopped
just two metres from them. When the tank stopped, several people began
putting flowers and pictures of Rachel onto the tank. The tank retreated to
try and avoid being covered in flowers.

The mourners again asked the tank to withdraw so they could complete the
memorial for their friend. The tank commander demanded that everyone leave
the area, and, when they refused, he threw tear gas and sound bombs at the
mourners.

The tank was joined by an Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC), another tank, a
military road grader and an armoured bulldozer. The ISM activists who had
been with Rachel when she was murdered recognised the number on the
bulldozer. The IOF had sent bulldozer #949623 that killed Rachel Corrie to
drive through and disrupt her memorial.

"The mourners were outraged by this desecration of Rachel's memory and tried
to block the advance of all five massive military vehicles," said Murray.
Two vehicles managed to drive around the protest but three were stopped by
the protesters. A large group of Palestinians and international volunteers
sat down and began planting flowers in front of them.

The first tank responded by gassing the seated protesters with a massive
stream of choking smoke that enveloped them and forced them to move. When
the tank fired several volleys of warning shots from a machine gun, the
mourners decided to leave the security zone.

"All of us were all invited to Dr. Samir's still-standing house for tea,"
said Moiseiwitsch.

The tank was left churning through the desolate security zone, covered in
flowers and pictures of Rachel Corrie.

-30-

Gordon Murray and Carel Moiseiwitsch are available for interview by phone or
email. Their cell phone number in Nablus (PST+10 hours) are
011-972-52-812-649 or 011-972-52-755-649 and their email is
gordon at ism-vancouver.org. Digital photos and video footage are available on
request.

For more information about ISM-Vancouver visit our website at
www.ism-vancouver.org or contact the ISM-Vancouver coordinator
by email at ism-vancouver at palsolidarity.net

INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY MOVEMENT (ISM-VANCOUVER)
16 West Hastings Street - Box 38; Vancouver, BC V6B 1G4
Voice mail: 604-682-3269 Ext. 6197
Email: <mailto://ism-vancouver@palsolidarity.org>
Website: <http://www.ism-vancouver.org>



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Macdonald Stainsby
http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/rad-green
http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/leninist-international
--
In the contradiction lies the hope.
                                     --Bertholt Brecht