The US Custom House Portland, Where an Outdoor Rally and Hunger Strike Will Begin, Wednesday, May 21, 2025.

You are invited to attend an Emergency Protest on Wednesday, May 20, at 3:30 pm., outside the US Custom House, Portland.

The purpose of the Emergency Protest is to demand that Israel immediately end its assault on Gaza and allow vital humanitarian aid to enter the territory.  The following morning, ten Mainers will join national protestors and Veterans for Peace in a 40-day Hunger Strike against the illegal blockade of aid supplies into Gaza.

Beginning on Thursday, groups of multi-faith, Mainers will participate in a 40 day hunger strike.  Some have committed to consume only 250 calories per day, in-line with the caloric intake of 90% of Gazans under the ongoing Israeli mililtary blockade.

For 11 weeks, Israel has blocked all food, water and medicine, while continuing to bomb what’s left of the people, tents and hospitals in the besieged enclave.  Thousands of trucks have been lined up at the border for almost three months.  As two (2) million people starve less than a mile away, Israel will not let any supplies cross and has attached humanitarian ships attempting to provide relief via sea.  At least 57children have already been forcefully starved to death and one million have had their growth and developmet permanently compromised by Israeli’s illegal mass starvation campaign.

On Monday, Benjamin Netanyahu made the nilateral decision to allow a trickle of aid into Gaza.  The Netanyahu administration made it clear that this was not a shift in humanitarian policy, but a strategic decision to mitigate criticism and dissuade international intervention according to Drop Site News, “his decision to allow a minuscule amount of aid to enter Gaza is a tactical one aimed at quieting international condemnation of Israelli’s forced starvation of Gaza and to clear the path of a final solution imposed on the Palestinians of Gaza.  Netanyahu added:  “To continue the war of annihilation, “We need to do it in a way that they won’t stop us.”

“Our purpose is to highlight the engineered starvation and sieze that have created conditions incompatible with life for Palestinians, according to the UN,” said Abigail Fuller, one of the hunger strikers.  “We demand unfettered resumption of humanitarian aid, under UN authority and that the US stop arming Israel NOW!  Israel and the US must reestablish the ceasefire and get out of Gaza.”

“News reports almost never tell Americans that the US gives Israel over $10 million per day,” claims www.if americansknew.org

Maine’s two Senators – Collins & King voted in April to advance the latest weapons package according to a press releae issued by the Maine Coalition for Palestine, the nonprofit hosting the rally tomorrow afternoon.

“The support of Collins and King for the Trump administration’s support of this policy is why this blogger does not support either the smooth talking, arrogant Senator Angus King (I) nor the inarticulate and spineless Senator Susan Collins (R) who is up for re-election in 2026  This Trump policy supported by Maine’s two Senators  paves the way for Trump’s announced ambition to develop the Gaza strip  into a sea side resort by his family.”