AMP Condemns Israeli Murder of Peaceful Demonstrators
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 3/30/18)—This morning, shortly after dawn, Omar Samour, a Palestinian farmer with land near the border between Gaza and Israel, became the first Return March casualty but certainly not the last. At the time of this post being written, Israel has murdered thirteen unarmed, peaceful Palestinian demonstrators and injured at least 1000.
Today, In observation of Land Day, Palestinians participated in the "March of Return". At least 30,000 of Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip marched to the blockaded border with Israel, set up camp, and peacefully expressed their desire to return to the homes from which they were expelled. With impunity, Israeli military forces used drones to drop tear gas over all the demonstrators and shot live ammunition at anyone they perceived to be coming "too close to the border". All those who were shot were men between the ages of 18 and 30.
A few hundred yards from Gaza's border with Israel, even as ambulances screamed past ferrying the injured and as tear gas canisters were dropped from drones, the atmosphere remained festive as families gathered for picnics. Shop owners set up stalls and sold ice cream, smoothies, nuts and sandwiches.
March 30, 1976, now known as "Land Day", marked the first act of collective civil disobedience against the racist colonization and dispossession of the Palestinians of their lands and rights since the creation of Israel in 1948. On that day, Palestinians marched against an Israeli decision to expropriate 2,000 hectares of land around the Arab villages of Araba and Sakhnin as a part of a plan to "Judaise the Galilee".
On that day, Israeli security forces killed six unarmed Palestinian protesters, injured 96 others, and arrested 300 more.
On that day, Palestinians living inside the borders of the 1948 occupation, declared that they were an inseparable part of the Palestinian people and their struggle.
Today, more than 40 years later, the Gaza Strip has become an open-air prison and is on the brink of economic collapse. The Israeli siege has made the economic and humanitarian conditions completely unlivable in Gaza. Cut off from the rest of the world, in what continues to be one of the most densely populated places on earth, 97% of the water is deemed undrinkable and electricity is only available for 2-4 hours a day.
AMP condemns Israel's complete disregard for the lives of Palestinian and will continue to advocate for Palestinian rights and work to build a movement with our allies for justice in Palestine.
Here are ways you can take action for Palestine this Land Day and beyond:
Today, AMP encourages all supporters of Palestine to use Land Day as an opportunity to educate your communities about Palestinian human rights and their ongoing struggle for dignity, justice, and freedom.
If you are a faith leader, we call on you to focus your sermon on Jerusalem and the human rights violations against Palestinians who continue to be ethnically cleansed from their indigenous land.
We further ask that you stay engaged by becoming a member of AMP or supporting our work by generously contributing to our advocacy programs for Palestinian rights.
Finally, if you are interested in opening up an AMP chapter or inviting AMP to speak to your community, please feel free to contact us at any time.
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