PRESS ALERT: Protest in Nelspruit for slain 21 year old Palestinian nurse killed by Israeli snipers
07 June 2018
21 year old Palestinian nurse, Razan Najjar, was shot dead by an Israeli sniper this past Friday 01 June 2018 (click here for a CNN article). Najjar, who had both her arms up in the air and was wearing a clearly identifiable medical vest, was shot while she was walking towards to assist injured protestors who were at a demonstration at the fence separating the Gaza Strip ghetto and Israel. (Click here for a 2 minute New York Times video)
Members of the public and media are invited to a picket at the Mpumalanga Provincial Legislature (Riverside Park, Mbombela) taking place on Friday 08 June at 2pm in Nelspruit. The picket, organized by the SACP together with COSATU, SANCO, Nehawu, ANC, ANC YL, YCL, NC4P, CPS and BDS South Africa, will be calling for sanctions against Israel starting with the implementation of the ANC’s 54th National Conference Resolution for the immediate and unconditional downgrade of the SA Embassy in Israel to a liaison office until Israel respects international law. A memorandum will be handed over to the Speaker of the Legislature, Honourable Violet Siwela, who will also address the picket.
The picket forms part of nationwide actions following Israel’s recent massacre on the 14th of May 2018 and the over 110 Palestinians killed by Israel in the last 2 months (including 2 medics, 2 journalists and 12 children). In addition, in the last two months, over 13 000 Palestinians have been injured (more than 3500 of them with live ammunition and several left with life altering disabilities) including more than 220 medical personnel and 140 journalists. Following the recent Israeli killings and 14 May massacre, South Africa’s governing party, the ANC, called on South Africans to “rise up and treat Israel like the pariah that it is…as South Africans, we can and should know better…the ANC calls on all South Africans to demonstrate to the world that we regard the Israeli government and its armed forces as an outcast and blight on humanity.” (click here)
Protests have thus far been held in Cape Town (over 5000 people), Durban (more than 2500), Johannesburg and Port Elizabeth. In addition to tomorrow’s protest in Nelspruit (click here) another picket will also take place on Friday afternoon (08 June 2018) in Pretoria outside the Israeli Embassy and a “boeka/iftar” for Palestine by the Bo-Kaap community will take place on Friday evening (click here). All are invited to join.
ISSUED BY KWARA KEKANA ON BEHALF OF BDS SOUTH AFRICA
For info contact: 0740543826 / 0842119988
