Thousands of Palestinians rallied outside Gaza’s International Committee of the Red Cross headquarters this morning to mark Palestinian Prisoners’ Day.
(Photo: Joe Catron)
(Photo: Joe Catron)
(Photo: Joe Catron)
The rally followed a march from Al-Saraya, the site of a notorious Israeli prison that was ironically demolished by Israel during Operation Cast Lead three years ago.
(Photo: Joe Catron)
“Today we marched from every street of Gaza,” said Shahd Abusalama, an Al-Azhar University student and blogger. “All generations marched to convey a message to our prisoners behind Israeli bars that they are not forgotten, and that we are fighting for their freedom.”
“And we marched to congratulate Khader Adnan on his,” she added, referring to the former administrative detainee and hunger striker’s expected release today.
(Photo: Joe Catron)
(Photo: Joe Catron)
(Photo: Joe Catron)
Palestinian Prisoners’ Day commemorates the release of Mahmoud Hizaji by Israel in its first prisoner exchange with Palestinians on April 17, 1971. Hizaji had been captured during a cross-border strike against Israel’s National Water Carrier on January 1, 1965. This military operation, the first by Palestinian forces, is often considered the beginning of the Palestinian liberation movement.
(Photo: Joe Catron)
Today April 17 is an annual day of solidarity with the Palestinian prisoners’ movement. Israel currently detains over 4,700 Palestinians in 27 prisons and detention centers, including 185 children, nine women, 27 elected deputies of the Palestinian Legislative Council, and 310 administrative detainees held without charge or trial, according to the Ministry of Detainees’ Affairs in Gaza.
(Photo: Joe Catron)
Palestinian and solidarity organizations issued a call for global actions on Palestinian Prisoners’ Day at the end of Khader Adnan’s 66-day hunger strike. Events in cities around the world today include those in Bradford, Brussels, Chicago, the Hague, Montreal, Pisa, Toronto, and Vancouver, as well as throughout Palestine.
(Photo: Joe Catron)
In Glasgow, more than 40 protesters have occupied the BBC Scotland headquarters to demand coverage of the Karameh (dignity) hunger strike, launched today by 1,200 prisoners, as well as the refusal of food by 2,300 more. International activists, including the Aman Palestin (AP) VIII delegation from Malaysia, also participated in Gaza.
(Photo: Joe Catron)
The rally followed a week of activities that began on April 10 and included a poster competition, a marathon, and the public display and creation of art throughout the Gaza Strip.
(Photo: Joe Catron)
(Photo: Joe Catron)
(Photo: Joe Catron)
“This year was the first time Prisoners’ Day has been commemorated with a collective hunger strike by over a thousand prisoners,” said Ministry of Detainees’ Affairs spokeswoman and event organizer Doa’a Ahmed. “The prisoners have asked all Palestinians – not just those in Palestine – and activists all over the world, to take action with them. These activities, here and in other places, will apply more pressure on Israel to meet their demands. Prisoners are not struggling alone against Israel’s aggression and humiliation against them anymore. Palestinians and free people everywhere are supporting them.”
(Photo: Joe Catron)
(Photo: Joe Catron)
(Photo: Joe Catron)
Well done Joe, keep up the hard work.
Confirmed: Khader Adnan has been released.
4700 palestinians in 27 prisons and detention centers
men, women and children
not to mention a million and a half palestinians in the open prison that is gaza
the almost two million under the boot of the apartheid regime in the wb and jerusalem, plus another 1.4 million palestinian second class israeli citizens.
in other words nazi germany, circa 1939, with the direction that the collective punishment for being palestinian is going already well established
moral equivalence with the holocaust?
the only thing missing now is a final solution