Mourning of slain activist Vittorio Arrigoni

Friday 15 April 2011

Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank unite in mourning of slain activist Vittorio Arrigoni

Palestinians across the Gaza strip and the West Bank will join today in mourning slain activist Vittorio Arrigoni. People will gather both in the Al Manara square in Ramallah and at Al Jundi al Majhull, the unknown soldier park, in Gaza City. Mourners will be received at up by the ISM and local popular committees and BDS and civil society activists.

Gaza 16.00, Al Jundi AL Majhoul - demostration will move towards al Jundi al Majhoul, the unknown soldier park. A mourning tent will open at the fisherman’s port Al Mina al sayadeen

Ramallah 16.00, Al Manara square - gathering to commemorate Vittorio The crowd will then march to Al Bireh where mourners can pay their respect at an event held at the Al Bireh Municipality hall.

Further events will take place across the West Bank and the Gaza strip. Protest demonstartions have taken place fallowing the Friday prayer across from the UN head quarters in Gaza. The villages of Bil'in and Al Masara have dedicating their weekly demonstrations to Vittorio today. Tomorrow in Nablus the poplular committee has called for a commemoration in the centre of the city with political parties in condemning Vittorio's killing and celebrating his work.

Vittorio has been active in the Palestine cause for almost 10 years. For the past two and a half years, he has been in Gaza with the International Solidarity Movement, monitoring human rights violations by Israel, supporting the Palestinian popular resistance against the Israeli occupation and disseminating information about the situation in Gaza to his home country of Italy.

He was aboard the siege-breaking voyage in 2008 with the Free Gaza Movement and was incarcerated in Israeli prisons several times. He was in Gaza throughout Israel’s brutal assault (Operation Cast Lead), assisting medics and reporting to the world what Israel was doing to the Palestinian people. He has been arrested numerous times by Israeli forces for his participation in Palestinian non-violent resistance in the West Bank and Gaza. His last arrest and deportation from the area was a result of the Israeli confiscation of Palestinian fishing vessels in Gazan territorial waters.

Vittorio frequently writes on the issue of Palestine for the Italian newspaper, IL Manifesto and Peacereporter and has been vocal in the issue of boycott, divestment and sanctions against Israel.

Khaleel Shaheen, from PCHR a friend of Vittorio in Gaza says:

"What has happened today is a black day in Palestinian history. The horrific murder of our friend Vittorio is totally condemned. We ask the local authorities to bring the criminals to justice as soon as possible. He is in our minds always. He is a hero of Palestine."

ends

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