Protestor who disrupted Netanyahu in Congress attacked hospitalized,arrested

 

----- Original Message -----

From: Carl Jarvis

To: Carl Jarvis

Sent: Sunday, May 29, 2011 9:01 PM

Subject: Re: Protestor who disrupted Netanyahu in Congress attacked, hospitalized,arrested

Subject: Re: Protestor who disrupted Netanyahu in Congress attacked, hospitalized,arrested

Heaven knows Congress doesn't want to be disturbed...unless we are passing out big wads of money. 

Curious Carl

Protestor who disrupted Netanyahu in Congress attacked, hospitalized,
arrested

by Ali Abunimah

electronicIntifada, Tue, May 25, 2011

http://electronicintifada.net/blog/ali-abunimah/protestor-who-disrupted-netanyahu-congress-attacked-hospitalized-arrested


Rae Abileah a CODEPINK activist who disrupted Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu's speech in the United States Congress this morning was
physically attacked, hospitalized and then arrested from hospital according
to reports.



According to CODEPINK co-founder Medea Benjamin:



block quote Rae Abileah is in the hospital, after having been assaulted and
tackled to the ground by members of the audience in the House Gallery during
Israel Prime Minister Netanyahu's speech to Congress. Abileah, who is with
the group CODEPINK: Women for Peace, interrupted Netanyahu with a banner
that said "Occupying Land Is Indefensible" and shouting, "No more
occupation, stop Israel war crimes, equal rights for Palestinians,
occupation is indefensible." She rose up to speak out just after the Prime
Minister talked about the youth around the world rising up for more
democracy. As this 28-year-old Jewish American woman spoke out for the human
rights of Palestinians, other members of the audience--wearing badges from
the conference of the American-Israel Public Affairs Committee--brutally
attacked her. The police then dragged her out of the Gallery and took her to
the George Washington University Hospital, where she is being treated for
neck and shoulder injuries.



"I am in great pain, but this is nothing compared to the pain and suffering
that Palestinians go through on a regular basis," said Abileah from her
hospital bed. "I have been to Gaza and the West Bank, I have seen
Palestinians homes bombed and bulldozed, I have talked to mothers whose
children have been killed during the invasion of Gaza, I have seen the
Jewish-only roads leading to ever-expanding settlements in the West Bank.
This kind of colonial occupation cannot continue. As a Jew and a U.S.
citizen, I feel obligated to rise up and speak out against and stop these
crimes being committed in my name and with my tax dollars."



Abileah stands in solidarity with the Palestinian and Israeli activists who
are routinely jailed and beaten for speaking out for democracy.



These actions were part of a week of protests called Move Over AIPAC.



block quote end



In a subsequent update on the Move Over AIPAC website, it was reported that
Abileah was arrested from George Washington University hospital.



Abileah was charged with disorderly conduct and disrupting Congress, as she
told Democracy Now on 25 May