Media Release
August 4
Students for Justice in Palestine

Saturday demonstration is a message to the US, Israel: "We will remember Qana"

Auckland University Students for Justice in Palestine are organising a demonstration and march this Saturday in Auckland. The demonstration will begin at 1pm at Aotea Square and be followed by a march to the United States consulate where a die-in and a mass flag burning will take place.

Students for Justice in Palestine spokesperson Omar Hamed said today, "The demonstration has been called to send a clear message to the Labour government. We call on the Labour government to demand that Israel cease it's attacks on south Lebanon, demolish its internationally condemned and illegal separation wall and its illegal settlements in the West Bank. We strongly call for the closure of the United States consulate in Auckland. It is a symbol of the occupations of Lebanon, Afghanistan, Iraq and Palestine by the US and it's coalitions of the killing.

"We also raise our voices with those of Lebanon in saying that an international "peacekeeping" force in Lebanon is about as wanted by the people of Lebanon as an Israeli army of occupation and for that reason the government should not be calling for it's deployment.

"We hope to send a strong message to the people of Palestine and Lebanon and to the Hezbollah and Hamas resistance movements that we support them in their struggle against Israeli aggression.

"We expect that come tomorrow hundreds of angry Aucklander's from all walks of life will rally to the call of international solidarity. The massacres committed by Israel at Qana are a continuation of the murder of innocent people in Sabra and Shatila twenty-four years ago.

"If Israel and the United States think they can pursue their "war without end" they are sadly mistaken. Tomorrow we will be dieing-in against the US consulate, and remembering those who have died as a result of Israeli imperialism," concluded Mr. Hamed.

ENDS

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