ACTION ALERT

For Immediate Release
27 August 2004

Solidarity Actions with Palestinian Prisoners in the US and Canada

A Week of Fasting and Action in Support of Palestinian Political Prisoners is called for by U.S. and Canadian-based Palestinian, Arab and Solidarity groups

"To our people throughout the homeland and in exile...we your fathers and comrades in Israeli jails...call upon you to unify your efforts and struggle. We call on you to channel your activities...towards supporting our struggle and efforts so that your actions and our cause are welded together in an unbreakable unity." (The Unified Leadership of the Hunger Strike's first call, issued on August 15. 2004)

Heeding the call by the leadership of the Palestinian Captive Movement (al-Haraka al-Aseera) for unity of action, we, the undersigned organizations in North America urge all people of conscience in the US, Canada and elsewhere to join us as we embark on a week of action and fasting in solidarity with Palestinian and Arab political prisoners in Israeli jails, and their families.

Recent reports indicate that 800 Palestinian prisoners at the Asqalan prison had decided to suspend their hunger strike until Monday, pending the implementation of measures agreed upon by Israeli authorities and the prisoners' leadership. Starting on Friday, August 27, the prisoners at Asqalan resumed their intake of milk and juice, but decided to refrain from solid food until they are assured that prison authorities will meet its part of the deal, including the implementation of the majority of the prisoners' demands.

However, this agreement is restricted to Asqalan and does not include other prisons currently undergoing a hunger strike.

Therefore, it is essential for us in North America to forge ahead with the action and fasting plans outlined below. Naturally, we will take our cue from our sisters and brothers in the prisons of occupation and their families. We will abide by their decision regarding continuation or cessation of their hunger strike and our fast.

The following is a list of activities in North America in support of the prisoners:

August 27 - A performance by Al-Awda Musical Troupe in Washington, DC, presented by the Washington, D.C. chapter of Al-Awda, the Palestine Right to Return Coalition. The event will be dedicated to Palestinian political prisoners.

Time: 7:00 pm, Tickets: $20
St. Peter & Paul Orthodox Church - Party Room
10620 River Road
Potomac, MD 20854
Phone:703-599-1184
Email: alawdatroupes@yahoo.com

August 28-30 - A 48-hours fast in solidarity with the prisoners on hunger strike. The fast, called for by Al-Awda, the Palestine Right to Return Coalition will be observed by hundreds of activists and their supporters between Saturday August 28 at 7 am and Monday August 30 at 7 am. To date, the solidarity fast will be observed in the following cities:

• New York City
• New Jersey
• Chicago
• Omaha
• San Diego
• San Francisco
• Davis (California)
• Sacramento
• Los Angeles
• Washington, D.C.
• Bridgeton (Maine)
• Vancouver, BC

August 28 - A performance by Al-Awda Musical Troupe in New Jersey, presented by the New Jersey Solidarity (NJS). The performance will be dedicated to Palestinian prisoners and will highlight their current uprising.

Doors Open at 7:00 PM, Show at 7:30 PM
Al-Solimanya
2877 J.F. Kennedy Blvd. 2nd Floor
at Journal Square
Jersey City, NJ
Phone (973) 954-2521
Email info@newjerseysolidarity.org

August 29 - A performance by Al-Awda Musical Troupe in New York City, presented by the New York and New Jersey chapter of Al-Awda, the Palestine Right to Return Coalition.

Sunday, August 29, 2004 @ 7 p.m
Alwan for the Arts
16 Beaver Street 4th floor
NYC, NY

Directions: In the Financial District between Broadway & Broad
Subway: 4,5 Bowling Green R,W Whitehall 2,3 Wall Street
J,M Broad Street 1,9 South Ferry

September 3, 4 - A Peaceful 24-hour Vigil of Solidarity will be held in Houston at the Red Cross Building, 2700 Southwest Freeway (59 @ Kirby) on Friday-Saturday, September 3-4. The vigil will start at 2:00pm Friday and conclude at 2:00pm Saturday. It will be followed by a rally of solidarity at the Galleria Area, Post Oak @ Westheimer, from 3:00pm-7:00pm. For more info, please contact the Public Relationship Committee of the Palestinian-American Congress/Houston at

Phone: 713-974-3838
Fax : 713-782-3838

September 4 - A demonstration will be held by the New England Committee to Defend Palestine in Boston in support of Palestinian prisoners.

September 4, 5 - A tent hunger strike, organized by Sumoud Political Prisoners Solidarity Group, will be held outside the Red Cross Offices in Toronto starting 12 pm Saturday 4th September to 6 pm Sunday 5th September. For more information contact: sumoud@tao.ca, http://sumoud.tao.ca.

We call on all supporters of Palestinian rights, first and foremost of these being the inalienable right of the refugees to return to their original towns and villages, to organize additional activities in support of all Palestinian and Arab political prisoners in Israeli jails and military detention facilities. The Israeli authorities have made unambiguous their intention to employ methods of extreme psychological and physical pressure to break the hunger strike. They have explicitly stated that they will draw upon the experiences of dealing with prisoners on hunger strike in South Africa, Ireland, Turkey and Latin America to break the strike.

--End-

• Al-Awda, the Palestine Right to Return Coalition (North America)
• Free Palestine Alliance (USA)
• Houstonians in Solidarity with Palestinian Political Prisoners (HSPPP)
• New England Committee to Defend Palestine (Boston)
• Palestinian-American Congress (Houston)
• Palestinian Community Center (Vancouver, BC)
• Palestinian Right of Return Congress (USA)
• Palestine Solidarity Group (Chicago)
• Sumoud Political Prisoners Solidarity Group (Toronto)

For more information, you may write to:

Al-Awda, The Palestine Right to Return Coalition
PO Box 131352
Carlsbad, CA 92013, USA
Tel: 760-685-3243
Fax: 360-933-3568
E-mail: info@al-awda.org
WWW: http://al-awda.org

Al-Awda, The Palestine Right to Return Coalition (PRRC) is the largest network of grassroots activists and students dedicated to Palestinian human rights. We are a not for profit tax-exempt educational and charitable 501(c)(3) organization as defined by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) of the United States of America. Under IRS guidelines, your donations to PRRC
are tax-deductible.