Fateh Azzam, Keynote Speaker at Rally Urging Congresswoman Pingree to Support Ceasefire by Israel.
Some of the Crowd at Today’s Rally on the Portland Waterront Urging Congresswoman Chellie Pingree to Sign on a House Resolution Supporting a Ceasefire Now in Gaza.
“Congresswoman Pingree has a chance to be on the right side of history by signing on to House Resolution 786 to implement a ceasefire in the GAZA,” said Abby Fuller, chair of the Voices for Palestine Rights, this afternoon at a 45 minute rally outside Pingree’s Portland office.
“Here we are, DAY 48 of this bloody conflict. Here we are, nearly 12,000 dead, mostly women, children and the elderly, nearly 30,000 injured and an estimated 3,000 still under the rubble: Here we are, DAY 48, and much of Gaza is destroyed and 1.7 million Palestinans in tents and shelters, again! Here we are, in front of Representative Chellie Pingree’s office, who is still talking about a “humantarian pause,” even while our government is supplying Israel with lethal ammunition to continue its genocidal acts,” said keynote speaker Fateh Azzam at the rally attended by 75 people under sunny and warm skies on the Portland waterfront.
“A ‘humanitarian pause’ gives time to bury the dead and treat the wounded, only for the cycle of killing and maiming to start again! A ‘pause’ does not ensure that destroyed power stations, water plants and flour mills can be restored for 21/2 million people. a pause will not release the hostages,” Azzam, a Maine resident, who previously worked at the Carr Center for Human Rights and was an affiliate at the Middle East Initiative at Harvard’s Kennedy School. continued. He urged Congresswoman Pingree to sign House Resolution 786 calling for a CEASEFIRE NOW!
Niko Harkins, spoke fervently of the Palestinians as the victims because they are so opposed by Israel. Of Indian heritage, Niko knows well of what he speaks. “From the river to the sea, Palestinian will be free,” NIko said. Bob Schaible, who founded the non-profit asked what is the moral justification for not signing the ceasefire House Resolution? “We need to shut them down with the truth” Schaible said. “The killing of innocent people is wrong! By anyone! However, neither Israel nor its supporters can claim a higher moral ground upon whch to condemn Hamas. And if terrorism is to end, then Palestinians must receive the justice Israel has denied them for 75 years and counting.”
“We will see you back here when Chellie Pingree signs on to the House Resolution,” said Leo Hilton.
(MHN.com regrets that not all of the photographs taken today could be posed herein because of technical problems).