Caoimhe Butterly in Limerick Sunday 24th Absolute Hotel 7.30

limerick | anti-war / imperialism | event notice Thursday May 21, 2009 20:44 by Zoe Lawlor - Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Limerick Branch

Eyewitness Reporting Back from Gaza

Human Rights Activist Caoimhe Butterly ~ public talk in the Absolute Hotel Sunday 24th May, 7.30pm. All very welcome.
Caoimhe will speak about the reality of life for Gazans in the aftermath of the last murderous attack by Israel and the ongoing siege of Gaza.

Human rights activist Caoimhe Butterly, who spent this year in Gaza working with the Ambulance service is touring Ireland to give a first hand account of events there and to gather support for the 'HOPE FLEET' a flotilla of cargo boats returning to Gaza in June.

Caoimhe is the Free Gaza coordinator in Gaza and has close links with a number of developing grassroots projects there. Caoimhe will speak about the reality of life for Gazans in the aftermath of the last attack and the ongoing siege.

It is almost four months since the end of 'Operation Cast Lead' that saw approximately 1,400 Palestinians killed, 313 of them children during 22 days of air, land and sea attacks by Israel. Irishman John Ging from the United Nations explained "there is no prospect of recovery or reconstruction until we can get access for construction materials. Until we can get the humanitarian assistance in, in an unfettered way, we can't begin the process of recovery. Gazan mothers and fathers call, not for retaliation, but for protection and accountability because they're concerned, not just for what has happened, but for what is coming.”

The people of Gaza need to rebuild their shattered lives and infrastructure, and Israel refuses to allow anything into the small enclave except for food and some medicine. The last delivery of cement was in November 08 which has left families living on the rubble of their homes with no hope of rebuilding their lives, their homes, schools, work places as long as Israel controls their borders.

This is why it is so important to support and maintain the route from Cyprus to the port of Gaza that the Free Gaza Movement opened in August last year.

"The Palestinians don't want hand-outs from the international community. They want their lives back. They want their human and civil rights. They have a great labor force wanting to rebuild their communities. They are perfectly capable of that if their borders, including the sea border, were open," states Lubna Masarwa, delegation leader of this flotilla.