[van-announce] May 15 and 19: Vancouver Commemorates the Palestinian Nakba, Calls for End to 64 Years of Israeli Ethnic Cleansing

[Charlotte Kates]

*Vancouver Commemorates the Nakba, Calls for End to 64 Years of Israeli
Ethnic Cleansing*

*Contact:* Hanna Kawas, 604-992-4346
*Email contact*: nakbavancouver at gmail.com

A coalition of organizations in the Vancouver area will mark the 64th
anniversary of the occupation and ethnic cleansing of Palestine with two
commemorative events calling for justice in Palestine and the right of
return for Palestinian refugees on May 15th and 19th, 2012.

The Nakba, meaning "catastrophe" in Arabic, describes the process of
dispossession, ethnic cleansing and occupation of Palestine in 1948 and is
commemorated annually on May 15. "The Nakba is continuing today. Over 7
million Palestinian refugees are denied their rights to return home, while
Israel continues its occupation throughout Palestine. Meanwhile, the
government of Canada continues to provide unconditional* *support to
Israel. This complicity with ethnic cleansing must end," said Hanna Kawas.

The Vancouver Coalition to Commemorate Al-Nakba will hold a community
supper on Tuesday, May 15, from 6 pm to 9 pm, where Palestinians and
indigenous people will share stories of dispossession, genocide and
resistance through words, poetry and film. The supper will take place at
the Unitarian Church, 949 W. 49th St., Vancouver, and is free and open to
the public.

The Vancouver commemoration of the Nakba will continue with a march on
Saturday, May 19, which will launch from Clark Park at 14th and Commercial
at 2pm to Grandview Park, where a rally will follow. The march calls for
the right of return of Palestinian refugees, and an end to the ongoing
ethnic cleansing, occupation, mass imprisonment and apartheid in Palestine.
The march will also stand against Canada's own genocide against indigenous
people.

"Canada's support for Israel is not accidental. Canada is responsible for a
historical and ongoing genocide against indigenous people here. And, just
as in Palestine, indigenous resistance to colonialism continues, despite
the continued theft of indigenous land and resources, and we celebrate that
resistance, from Vancouver to Palestine," said Mike Krebs of the Coalition.


May 15, 2012 marks the 64th anniversary of the declaration of the State of
Israel, accompanied by the mass dispossession and ethnic cleansing of
800,000 Palestinains from their homes and lands. Displacement and home
demolitions continue to the present day; in 2011, 622 Palestinian homes,
wells, and farms were demolished and 154 have been demolished in 2012 to
date. The Israeli government has announced plans to remove 30,000
Palestinian Bedouins from their ancestral lands. Over 200 Palestinians have
been evicted in Jerusalem alone in recent years.

May 15 is commemorated annually by Palestinians, their supporters, and
social justice movements around the world as a day to call for Palestinian
rights, including the right of return for Palestinian refugees.

The Vancouver Coalition to Commemorate Al-Nakba includes the Alliance for
People's Health, Arab Students Association - UBC, Boycott Israeli Apartheid
Campaign, Canada Palestine Association, CPSHR - Canada-Philippines
Solidarity for Human Rights, Canadian Boat to Gaza, CanPalNet, Canadian
Union of Postal Workers, Independent Jewish Voices, No One Is Illegal -
Vancouver Unceded Coast Salish Territories, Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner
Solidarity Network, Seriously Free Speech Committee, Simon Fraser Public
Interest Research Group (SFPIRG), Solidarity For Palestinian Human
Rights-UBC (SPHR-UBC), and SANSAD - South Asian Network for Secularism and
Democracy.

To join the coalition or for more information please contact
nakbavancouver at gmail.com.

Find us on Facebook - May 15 event:
https://www.facebook.com/events/346982315363691/
 May 19 event: https://www.facebook.com/events/280652725354822/




-- 
Charlotte L. Kates     charlotte.kates at gmail.com