Auckland: Candlelight vigil and protest march against Israeli terror attack

Press Release: Global Peace And Justice Auckland
2 June 2010

Global Peace and Justice Auckland has organised a series of events to give people the opportunity to express the outrage and anger which is felt across the community in the wake of the killing of at least nine humanitarian aid workers on the flotilla of boats travelling to Gaza to break the Israeli blockade of the Gaza strip.

There will be a candlelight vigil this Friday evening from 5pm to 7pm outside the US consulate in Customs Street which will mourn the deaths of the aid workers in the Israeli attack.

A protest march will gather at Aotea Square at 1pm this Saturday for a march to the US consulate. We are asking people to bring old shoes which will be thrown at the building. Shoes have become a symbol of opposition to US and Israeli policy in the Middle East after an Iraqi journalist hurled his shoes at US President George Bush during a press conference a couple of years back.

The US consulate has been chosen as the focus because it is US policy which blindly supports Israeli policy and which drives injustice and terrorism in the Middle East.

GPJA will also continue to urge the government to –

1. Condemn the Israeli attacks on the Gaza convoy.
2. Close the Israeli embassy in Wellington
.
3. Revoke the policy giving privileged access to New Zealand for young Israelis on working holidays.

New Zealanders will work to intensify the international isolation of Israel just as we did in the case of apartheid South Africa.