March ToGaza End The Siege
On December 27th, 2008 Israel launched a horrific bloodbath in Gaza eventually killing over 1300 Palestinians - including over 400 children - and injuring thousands. The ensuing military onslaught destroyed homes, schools, places of worship, and essential infrastructure, leading to a humanitarian catastrophe. The destruction wreaked by these attacks is exacerbated by Israel’s ongoing siege, which has left the Palestinians in Gaza prisoners within Israeli-created borders and dependent on the meagre trickle of supplies their occupier allows in.
Gaza lies under siege today as it has for years.
What does this siege mean?
After Hamas succeeded in democratic parliamentary elections in January of 2006 the world determined to ignore the outcome. As a result the siege on the Gaza Strip which had already been in place was tightened. Now only items that Israel labels as "essential" enter the Gaza Strip. Nothing whatsoever exits.
Hospitals relying on Israel's mercy to allow in required medicines and supplies have been running short because the borders are closed.
Families cannot replace their blown out windows because the borders are closed.
Gas prices have sky rocketed because the borders are closed.
The dead are being buried without grave stones because the borders are closed.
Hundreds of injured Palestinians seeking medical attention outside of Gaza have died because the borders are closed.
Students, businessmen and women cannot leave or enter the Gaza Strip, much of life has come to a near standstill because the borders are closed.
Flower planters and strawberry growers who in the past had exported to international markets all of a sudden had no markets to export to because the borders are closed.
That Gaza Strip is an open-air prison because the borders are closed.
85% of Palestinians in Gaza- according to the UN- are reliant on food aid without which they would not be alive today.
Over 40% of Palestinians are without a job.
High amounts of children- according to the international Red Cross- are suffering from malnutrition.
The time is NOW!
March ToGaza End the Siege
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
We hope for the call to spread organically and to look different in different places around the world. Whether a defined or indefinite distance is walked, by a specific group or individually; whether calling for boycott or the indictment of Israel for war crimes we are hoping that such efforts will pick up momentum and spread.
Though the vicious Israeli assault on Gaza has, for the time being, halted, this catastrophe has not been solved. Let us seize this time of urgency to act and call for an end to the siege on Gaza. Our resistance is ignored and obscured by the hypocrisy of our respective governments and so we, the multitude, have no choice but to take to the streets in a collective global expression of condemnation of Israel’s actions.
Four marches have taken place so far:
- ToGaza March from Cordoba, Spain - 31th January 2009
- ToGaza March from Cairo, Egypt - 6th Feburary 2009
- ToGaza March from Cairo, Egypt - 27th Feburary 2009
- ToGaza March from Chicago, USA - 28th Feburary 2009
Currently a series of marches are being coordinated internationally.
For any inquiries or updates, please contact us:
Email: info@togaza.net
Second ToGaza March From Cairo
The second ToGaza march took place in the Marg district in Northern Cairo. Fourteen ToGaza activists marched 2.2 Km in the direction of Gaza; despite security concerns after state security detained one activists and harassed six others, by sending agents to their homes or workplaces.
This was one of two marches conducted over the weekend bringing the total up to four marches internationally:
- ToGaza March from Cordoba, Spain - 30th January 2009
- ToGaza March from Cairo, Egypt - 6th Feburary 2009
- ToGaza March from Cairo, Egypt - 27th Feburary 2009
- ToGaza March from Chicago, USA - 28th Feburary 2009
A series of international marches are currently being organized for the upcoming monthes.
Contact ToGaza at: info@togaza.net
Chicago MarchesToGaza
A group conducted the first ToGaza march today, Saturday 28th Feburary 2009. A series of marches are currently being planned in several ciities in the US for the upcoming month.
Contact ToGaza at: info@togaza.net
