|
Foreign peace activists commemorate Rachel Corrie, killed by Israeli army
|
|
EREZ, Israel (AFP) -
Foreign peace activists held a ceremony at the Erez crossing point between Israel and the Gaza Strip (news - web sites) to mark the anniversary of the death of Rachel Corrie, killed by an Israeli bulldozer a year ago.
The 23-year-old member of the International Solidarity Movement (ISM) was crushed to death by the machine in the southern Gaza town of Rafah on March 16, 2003, as she was trying to prevent the demolition of Palestinian homes.
A small number of fellow ISM members paid their respects to her by reading out e-mails and letters that she had written about Gaza to her family and friends back home in Olympia, Washington.
They all wore t-shirts bearing the names of Palestinian victims of the intifada as well as of Corrie herself.
"We are here to honour and respect her life," said fellow ISM activist Gabriel Angelone, from New York.
After her death, Corrie became a symbol among Palestinians of support from foreign civilians for their cause, and received posthumous honours from Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat (news - web sites).
A 22-year-old British activist from the same group, Tom Hurndall, died in January after sustaining critical head injuries from a bullet fired by an Israeli soldier in Rafah in April 2003 as he was trying to pull Palestinian children out of danger.
The Israeli army has cracked down on activists from the International Solidarity Movement, charging that they obstructed military operations in the occupied territories and the group no longer has a presence in the Gaza Strip.
They are involved in almost daily protests against Israel's construction of the West Bank separation barrier which have often resulted in clashes with troops.
|
|
|
|
|
Ratings:
Would you recommend this story?
|
|
Not at all
1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
Highly
|
|
|
|
|
|
Patriot Games
Will the government's anti-terror tactics invade your privacy?
|
|
|
