10-06-2010, 06:58 PM
Scheduled to happen in less than five minutes:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
GAZA ACTIVISTS FACE 'TERRORISM' ARREST ON CAPITOL HILL TOMORROW
(Washington DC, 09 June) - Responding to recent congressional accusations that they are 'terrorists,' Gaza Flotilla activists with the Free Gaza Movement, Gaza Freedom March, Code Pink, and Freedom Flotilla will be voluntarily making themselves available for arrest in Rep. Brad Sherman's Capitol Hill offices on Thursday, June 10th at 2PM. In the event they are not arrested, they will be holding a memorial service for those killed aboard the Mavi Marmara in Rep. Sherman’s Rayburn HOB office.
Col. Ann Wright (ret.), a former U.S. diplomat, Gaza Freedom March organizer, and a passenger aboard the recent Freedom Flotilla, stated that: "Nine aid workers were murdered by Israeli commandos, and more than fifty were wounded. I want to look Brad Sherman in the eye and see if he has any sense for the gravity of this situation. If Sherman wants to have us arrested - we'll be there."
Congressman Brad Sherman (D-CA) has publicly called for the arrest and prosecution of "any U.S. citizens who were aboard or involved with the Freedom Flotilla" under the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996. Rep. Sherman serves on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and chairs the subcommittee on terrorism and nonproliferation.
According to Rep. Sherman: "[It's] absolutely illegal for any American to give food, money, school supplies, paper clips, concrete ...so I will be asking the Attorney General to prosecute any American involved in what was clearly an effort to give items of value to a terrorist organization.”
Rep. Sherman also stated that he was planning on working with the Department of Homeland Security to make sure all non-U.S. citizens aboard the Flotilla would be permanently barred from entering the U.S. This list includes Nobel peace laureate Mairead Maguire, former UN assistant secretary general Denis Halliday, as well as a number of parliamentarians and government officials from Ireland, Britain, Spain, Sweden, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Egypt, Palestine, and Israel.
Ramzi Kysia, an organizer with the Free Gaza Movement, said that: "Rep. Sherman is welcome to arrest me and try to make his case to a jury of my peers. Delivering humanitarian aid to people in need is not 'terrorism.' Brad Sherman is a prime example of just how degenerate our political discourse has become on Capitol Hill."
Several other peace and justice advocates will also be making themselves available for arrest tomorrow, including Susan Kerin, a coordinator with both the Free Gaza Movement and Pax Christi, and Tighe Barry, a coordinator with Code Pink. Mr. Barry will be turning himself in to face the death penalty for building 3 playgrounds in Gaza for children, some of whom were born from parents in the Hamas government. [Emphasis added]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
GAZA ACTIVISTS FACE 'TERRORISM' ARREST ON CAPITOL HILL TOMORROW
(Washington DC, 09 June) - Responding to recent congressional accusations that they are 'terrorists,' Gaza Flotilla activists with the Free Gaza Movement, Gaza Freedom March, Code Pink, and Freedom Flotilla will be voluntarily making themselves available for arrest in Rep. Brad Sherman's Capitol Hill offices on Thursday, June 10th at 2PM. In the event they are not arrested, they will be holding a memorial service for those killed aboard the Mavi Marmara in Rep. Sherman’s Rayburn HOB office.
Col. Ann Wright (ret.), a former U.S. diplomat, Gaza Freedom March organizer, and a passenger aboard the recent Freedom Flotilla, stated that: "Nine aid workers were murdered by Israeli commandos, and more than fifty were wounded. I want to look Brad Sherman in the eye and see if he has any sense for the gravity of this situation. If Sherman wants to have us arrested - we'll be there."
Congressman Brad Sherman (D-CA) has publicly called for the arrest and prosecution of "any U.S. citizens who were aboard or involved with the Freedom Flotilla" under the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996. Rep. Sherman serves on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and chairs the subcommittee on terrorism and nonproliferation.
According to Rep. Sherman: "[It's] absolutely illegal for any American to give food, money, school supplies, paper clips, concrete ...so I will be asking the Attorney General to prosecute any American involved in what was clearly an effort to give items of value to a terrorist organization.”
Rep. Sherman also stated that he was planning on working with the Department of Homeland Security to make sure all non-U.S. citizens aboard the Flotilla would be permanently barred from entering the U.S. This list includes Nobel peace laureate Mairead Maguire, former UN assistant secretary general Denis Halliday, as well as a number of parliamentarians and government officials from Ireland, Britain, Spain, Sweden, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Egypt, Palestine, and Israel.
Ramzi Kysia, an organizer with the Free Gaza Movement, said that: "Rep. Sherman is welcome to arrest me and try to make his case to a jury of my peers. Delivering humanitarian aid to people in need is not 'terrorism.' Brad Sherman is a prime example of just how degenerate our political discourse has become on Capitol Hill."
Several other peace and justice advocates will also be making themselves available for arrest tomorrow, including Susan Kerin, a coordinator with both the Free Gaza Movement and Pax Christi, and Tighe Barry, a coordinator with Code Pink. Mr. Barry will be turning himself in to face the death penalty for building 3 playgrounds in Gaza for children, some of whom were born from parents in the Hamas government. [Emphasis added]